The Consequences of Our Actions
by Hahahathegreat
Summary: Modern AU. When Arya takes a summer internship at Tywin Lannister's company, she inadvertently becomes pregnant with his child. What happens afterwards is a story of drama, intrigue, and love. Features Arya/Tywin.
1. Prologue

Authors note: This story features a 18 year old arya and a early fifties Tywin, the relationship between Tywin and Arya was inspired by the television shows betrayal of it and not so much of the book, later in the story i do plan to feature a lot of very technical aspects and deal heavily with Tywin's business. Reviews would be awesome and if anyone would like to become my editor please pm me.

_July 26th, 2014_

Arya found her way to her seat, 2a, in the front of first class. She had always despised flying and now it seemed even less appealing, with the throwing up and all. But that didn't matter she would have to deal with the twelve hour flight from Titan International, to Casterly Rock International.

After taking her seat she watched as Tywin Lannister stored his carry on in the compartment and took his seat by the window. He immediately took upon the impassive face that he had been wearing ever since she had told him the news.

Settling down she began to think upon how this had all happened, it hadn't been the missed period, since those had usually come on their own time with no real regularity, but the nausea and finally throwing up that had sent her to the doctor. Expecting to hear that she had contracted the flu or something similar, shocked wasn't an appropriately extreme word to describe her feelings when she had been told that she was pregnant. She, Arya, the wild one , horse face arya, pregnant, how could this be she wondered.

"This is your captain speaking." Blaired over the loudspeakers taking her out of her spiraling train of thought. "Today we're going to be cruising at thirty thousand feet." It was the same nonsense as always and Arya drowned it out almost as soon as the captain began to talk, wanting nothing more to be left to her whirling sea of emotions.

It wasn't till about half way through the take off that she noticed the agitated look upon Tywin's face. He must have noticed her gazed because he looked at her and said, "never enjoyed flying, feel like a canned sardine in here."

They stared at each other in silently for a long moment before Tywin again spoke, "I'm sorry that this has happened, it was never my."

"Just shut up about it", Arya said cutting him off. She wanted silence not his pity. Closing her eyes she thought back to how this whole thing had began.

Wanting to join the army had really been her dream but her father, Ned Stark, had convinced her to least spend her summer in an internship, with none other than her fathers biggest business rival, Tywin. Upon arrival at Braavos to Tywin's offices, she found herself quickly taking a liking to her work, for the first time she felt challenged intellectually, being the secretary to one of the best CEO's in business was no easy task. Yet through that challenge she had succeeded, quickly becoming not only a needed part in office life but an advisor to Tywin, someone he would often talk to while dealing with negotiations with the Braavos Telecom Company. It was in this time that it happened, one night Tywin asked to dinner, mostly as a friendly thing, and they had talked. Arya spoke of her childhood and what she wanted, while Tywin drank and spoke his lost wife and his children and while Tywin became drunker during his tale, Arya had become drunk upon his charisma. The deed happened at his apartment, both assuming safety in the other, Arya sure of his infertility and he sure of her taking contraceptives. So in that night of lust and pleasure something more had happened, Arya had become pregnant.

After discovering this Tywin had immediately said that they should fly back to Lannisport. Why he had not said but his intention had been clear, he wanted to deal with this, and probably quietly if possible. So Arya set here next to the father of the thing within her belly and wished she was dead.

Tywin felt the sting of her words, and watched as she immediately closed herself to him, he longed to reach out and comfort the girl, but knowing that it would probably infuriate her more he drew back. This girl, the one he had been so drawn to because of her intelligence, that now carried his child. This girl, who could be his own child and was younger than all of his, was with his child.

Arya when she first came to his office three months before had struck him as particularly sharp, and proven him right about that time and time again. Within almost a week of being at the offices he had learned he could trust her to complete almost any task he gave her, no matter what it was, she would complete them with exceptional quality. He had been planning to offer her a full time job. But her pregnancy would change that, really Tywin thought to himself, it would change everything. It had been so long since he had had a women, his late wife being his last, that he had forgotten himself with her, and so he would pay the consequences for his actions.

Now what would those consequences be, Tywin felt himself shift into his pragmatic thought zone, his place where he had always found solace and reason. Ned would be furious, but that could be dealt with, Catelyn would be delighted while probably a little bit creeped out, he .didn't blame her. The Stark children though where an unknown for him, as he did not know them well, but Tywin knew if he subdued the anger of Ned and Catelyn, the children would follow. The Starks could be reasoned with, Tywin mused, so they were not a threat, at least for the time being, an issue, not a threat.

Yet the Starks would not be his biggest headache, for his own family would present its own unique challenge's. Cersei would be angry and livid, but she was easy to manipulate when she got like that so she would not be a challenge, the same went for Jaime. Who he was truly worried about what Tyrion, the little shit had been wriggling his way up the power structure of the LMG (Lannister Mobile Group) for a long time and with a propensity to being too crafty, Tywin knew that Tyrion would be his true detractor in this case, the only one capable and willing to use Tywin's thoughtless actions against him. Another question arose within Tywin head, what would the board think of it, but that question he decided was for another time and anyway he had weathered all before, how would this be any different? So when it came down to it Tyrion was his only fear in this whole mess.

So how does one defend himself against the inevitable onslaught of Tyrion Lannister, Tywin mused over this for most of the flight, making plans and scheming, but never feeling like any of his idea's was really going to deal with Tyrion. Until it hit him, when you are going to be attacked, you simply strengthen your position. But how? Could he possibly some how use Arya pregnancy to his advantage, possibly try to make a merger with the Stark Mobile Industries Group, they had been losing market share and capital for a long time. Yet Tywin knew using Ned own daughter to give up a long cherished business was nigh on impossible, so how could he use this, another problem for him to mull over.

"You know, usually when people find out someone is pregnant they whoo and coo till their voices go out." Arya stated flatly, snapping Tywin back into reality. He must have been very deep in thought for her words to surprise him so.

"You as well as anyone should be able to recognise the seriousness of this situation", he replied.

"Don't patronise me, I know exactly what this situation is, a only grew tired of that dumb thinking face of yours", she said with a cruel japing face, Tywin thought though that he saw momentarily a face of utter terror.

"It usually doesn't help you to make fun of people". He said in his best fatherly tone.

"What are we going to do", she asked.

"What do you mean", it was with his words that he saw the face again, she was scarred. Realising this Tywin immediately saw a way to at least control the coming few days, which over all would give him a chance at better controlling the situation.

"You know what I mean", she retorted condescendingly.

"Well first I thought we should probably go to my house and get some sleep, and after that, well tell your family". He saw Arya visibly shudder.

"Do we have to tell them so soon"? She asked in the most timid voice he had ever heard her use.

"We'll have to someday, better now than later". Truth be told Tywin would have rather done it later too.

Tywin watched as Arya looked away, putting a hand on her stomach, and giving a face of indifference again.

He again reflected on the fact that he was old enough to be this girl's father, and quite possibly that in the coming months and years he would have to act like hers too.

Arya could feel his eyes burrowing into her back. She was scared, more scared than she probably had ever been before, scared of the unknown, scared of what was to come. How would her father react, how would her mother react. She didn't know, but she did know she would find out soon.


	2. The Airport

July 20th, 2014

The plane landed with the usual jolts, waking Arya from the nap she had fallen into. Looking past Tywin she could see Lannisport in the distance as they taxied down the runway to their terminal. Arya had never spent much time in Lannisport, spending most of her life in Winterfell. She had always been taken aback by the pure gaudiness of the city, resting against the sea, the city had always given her the feel of overwhelming opulence, something she was not keen to appreciate.

What Lannisport lacked in ruggedness and heart, Arya thought, it surely strived to make up with a cornucopia of wealth. Walking into the international terminal, she could almost feel it trying to impress her. As they walked to customs, she looked around at the glitzy ness of the whole affair, statues and pieces of art decked the halls. Most were boring pieces of modern and postmodern art, that seemed to scream that an overly self aware artist had toiled labouriously to crap them out. What the terminal lacked in artistic talent, it made up with in pure baroque stylings, gold trimmed everything filled her eyes, and looking above she saw a mural, a stag surrounded on both sides by two naked women.

"The council thought something to honor the Lannister family should be put in the terminal", Tywin said to her, having noticed her looking at it.

"Looks like shit", Arya replied, expecting to rouse some anger in the older man.

"Couldn't agree more", he replied, stalking off, and with one more glance at the mural Arya followed.

They soon came to customs, where Arya was greeted with the most gaudy sight of the day. A golden statue of two naked women both running, one with the hindquarters of a doe and the top of a woman, she seemed to be frozen in mid transformation, her face showing both strong resolve yet fear. The other women seemed to be leading the half doe one, her right arm and shoulder turned back towards the first hand outstretched as if to lead her, while her left hand held a babe to her bosom. Taken aback by the sight, Arya averted her eyes ahead to customs.

"Their called the twins of the sea", Tywin said behind her, "strange statue's for customs if you ask me".

Arya was inclined to agree but felt no urge to reply, keeping her thoughts to herself as she followed the snaking lines to the immigration officers.

"Anything to declare", the man behind the desk droned as Arya handed him her visa.

"Nothing", she replied as he looked over her visa.

"Welcome home Ms. Arya", the man said as he stamped her passport.

Walking off she watched as Tywin practically walked through customs, the officer immediately knowing who he was, and simply stamping his passport to let him through. They walked towards baggage claim in silence.

"I thought you liked to be treated equally to everyone else", Arya said remembering the talk a senior secretary had given her when she first came to the office, about how Tywin did not liked to be treated as equal to all the workers and how he treated them the same way.

"In the office, equality between boss and employ leads to a happier and more productive workplace", he said without even glancing at her, "but when I want to get somewhere I will always take the perks of my position".

So that's what it was, Tywin was equal to people when it benefited him, but the second it didn't matter he probably expected people to call him 'my lord' and some shit like that. How had she not seen this, how self centered and absorbed he was, she'd been taken in with him without even knowing what, what a brat he was. She snorted in disgust as her thoughts turned darker and darker.

Walking through baggage claim, Arya and Tywin were almost immediately swooped up by a gaggle of security people. Surrounding them and leading them outside towards a waiting limo.

Upon taking a seat Tywin looked at her, and she knew immediately that she must be showing her emotions, as he sighed and said, "so you think I abuse my station"? Of course he took advantage of it, her mind yelled, how could he not, he had taken advantage of her, it was he who had knocked her up, Arya thought feeling anger boil within her.

"Oh don't blame me for this", he said motioning his arms in a dismissive way, "you should not forget that you are just responsible for what has happened as me". Tywin looked at her for a long moment, "oh and stop your sulking, it makes your face all wrinkly"; laughing softly at his joke, Tywin looked away.

"You sound like my mother", she replied in a harsh sarcastic tone. "Maybe if I had listened to her advice and just signed into the damn army, instead of listening to Ned, I wouldn't be here", Arya heard herself say.

"You're acting like a child", Tywin replied with a bemused look on his face.

"Maybe I am a child", Arya practically yelled at.

"You know blaming other people doesn't help you", Tywin said in a soft almost fatherly tone, "it will only ostracize you from the people that you will need to lean on". A smirk covered his face, almost as if he was a father scolding a young child for doing something dumb.

"Oh don't give me that face", Arya said in an exasperated voice.

Looking out the window she watched the city go by as they travelled to wherever they were going. She didn't want to hear his lecture, even though she knew he was right, she just wanted this nightmare to be over. She wanted to go back to being wild and free, without cares, without worries, without some damn baby in her. She felt a tear start to form on her eye, Arya didn't cry she told herself trying to make her eye become a vacuum, especially in front of someone else. Yet try as she did the tear slid down her face, until she stopped it with her hand and wiped it away.

"We will arrive at my house soon", she heard Tywin say, "I'll call your father and have him come down tomorrow for dinner or something". His voice gave no indication to if he had seen her tear or not and for that Arya felt a little grateful.

The Lannister mansion was massive, Tywin told her as they entered that it had twenty bedrooms, and extremely dark. She watched as he led her to what seemed to be a living room, where left while going to cook something in the adjacent kitchen. Wanting to find something to do she looked around for the remote to the big flatscreen tv that sat in a corner. After a quick search she found it lying on a counter, as she went to pick it up she noticed a photo frame that was lying on its face. Intrigued she turned it over and looked at the picture. It was of a much younger Tywin and a probably eight year Jaime in a baseball uniform, they both smiled at her. Placing the frame on the table Arya for the first time realised the huge mass of photo's that covered the shelves, the Lannister children smiled at her, as if they were trying to comfort her through time. A young Cersei and Jaime smiled at her, both wearing football uniforms, in another frame Tyrion smiled at her behind a table and a chess board his mismatched eyes for once being warm and inviting rather than off putting. "Thanks but it can't help", she whispered while looking at the photos.

"A better time", Tywin said, making her jump a little, "a time when for at least a while I was happy".

"And what happened to those times"? Arya asked.

"They grew up and decided that I was their enemy and not the father", Tywin answered matter factly. "I hope you like mac and cheese" he said matter of factly walking towards the kitchen.

"Delicious" Arya muttered to herself following him.

They ate in silence, until after a point the sound of them masticating became too much for Arya to bear. "Do you know what you're doing"? She said giving him a quizzical look.

"No not really" he answered.

"Well that makes two of us".

"If it's any consolation", Tywin said with a very somber tone, "no one really does know. I didn't know the first time and I won't know now". For a moment he stared at her in silence and then a face of deliberation took over him before he began again and said, "really thats what everyone says, but really the truth is if you just care and try your best everything will work itself out".

"Ah Tywin your way with words comforts me so", Arya said with biting sarcasm.

Snorting Tywin looked at her and said, "at least I tried. Well it's late you should probably go to sleep, I'll tell you what's going on in the morning".

"Again, you keep sounding like my mother", she said getting up from the table.

Following Tywin out of the kitchen she followed him to the room where she would be spending the night. Putting her bag on a chair next to the bed, she turned to find Tywin leaning against the door staring at her. Raising her arms in a gesture of "what?" she looked back at him.

"You good"? He asked.

"Fine", she answered, waiting for a bit before she turned her back on him and began to unpack her things. After unpacking she looked at the door to find that he had gone, sighing in relief she flung herself upon her bed, and cried for the first time in many years.

Leaving her doorway, Tywin pulled out his phone and dialed to the number that he had been dreading for the last fourteen hours.

RIng. Ring. Ring. Please don't pick up, Tywin silently pleaded. Ring.

"Hello", came Ned Stark's voice through the phone.

"Hey Ned", Tywin started, but stopped suddenly unsure as what to say, "uhm whats up".

"I'm good Tywin, but it's ten thirty and you have never been one to call just to talk so of please don't flatter me and get to the damn point", Ned replied.

Tywin had always liked Ned's bluntness, but now was the time for analysis traits so he answered Ned, "you read me too well Ned, and what I'm calling about is Arya", he heard a sharp gasp on the other line, "oh its not like that". He paused for a moment to find the best way to say what he needed to say, "uhm, well what I called you about is that me and Arya our in Lannisport right now and I was wondering if you would like to fly down and have dinner tomorrow night"? Tywin felt like a five year old asking his mother if a friend could spend the night. "I think it would be a good time to talk about Arya's future", he added for good measure.

Ned stayed silent for several moments before answering in joyous voice, "Oh of course, me and Catelyn would love to come, our usual place at eight".

"Sounds great, Arya will be so happy to see you, she seems to miss you alot", Tywin said realising to late what he had said.

"Tywin don't bullshit me", he heard Ned reply in joking voice.

"Ok I made that up, but she will be happy to see you; tomorrow, eight and you know the place", he said before hanging up the phone.

Recollecting his thoughts, Tywin focused his mind on business. The Braavos deal was pretty much a done thing so that job to a low level board member would be fine. Yet it wasn't Braavos that worried him, it was dragon, the rising remains of the once powerful Targaryen business family led by their all that all she touches is holy technological ground, keynote speaking bitch of a CEO Daenerys. They were a real problem and though they had stayed out of the mobile market, rumors of them planning a Tphone had the whole industry in an uproar. Maybe he should talk to Rainbow Softwares again about that open sourced OS they were working on; "fortify your position Tywin", he thought to himself he walked by the guest room in which Arya was staying.

For a moment a Tywin stopped and listened. And what he heard shocked him, because softly slipping through the cracks of the door was the sound of crying. A long time Tywin stood there, outside her door listening, not knowing what he should do. Running his hands over his balding hand, Tywin leaned against the wall and slowly sliding into a sitting position, just listening to the soft sound of the girl crying. Gods Tywin thought, did I feel this protective of Joanna, he must have he reasoned for he had loved her and he barely knew Arya. After a while he realised that the crying had stopped and been replaced by soft snoring. Taking care not to make a sound Tywin stood and went to his bed.

Arya woke with a start and rushed to the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom, finding the toilet she released the contents of her stomach into it. Retching till it became nothing but dry heaves, waiting till the heaving passed Arya rolled to the side breathing heavily. A few minutes passed before she got up moved to get dressed.

Leaving her room she was immediately assaulted by the smell of bacon. Walking into the kitchen she saw Tywin standing over the stove cooking bacon.

"Have a seat it will be ready in a minute. Also I called your father and he and Catelyn our coming over for dinner at 8".

"Wonderful", Arya mumbled in response. Looking around the small table she saw a newspaper upon to the sports page. The headline had something to do with the coming horrible season of the Lannisport Stags, a team Tywin owned, because of mismanagement within their recruiting office. Arya had always wondered why Tywin held on to the team as it had been horrible for as long as she could remember, it's glory days long since past.

"So are you ever going to make an actually winning team out of the Stags", she asked while reading the article.

"I've tried but I've just never been able to find the right group of managers, the talents their but the upper offices is the problem, if I had the time I'd go and fix it but I don't really so I haven't", he answered her looking more interested in the bacon then the topic of conversation.

"Well you should start with firing Cregor", Arya said, talking about the Stags head coach who despite his size coached as well as a child would.

"And who would you have replace him", Tywin said looking at her.

"Anyone better would be a start", she replied as finished the article.

"I think should be the one to tell them, tonight", Tywin said.

"You think it will be easier that way", Arya answered in a flat tone though secretly she felt delighted that he was going to do the talking.

"Yes I do", he said, "I think your father will take the news from me a little better than he would from you". Arya could tell that he was lying, he knew just as well as her no matter which one told Ned he wasn't going to take it well, but why lie to her. Was he trying protect in the dumb overbearing way that men did when they where around girls? Probably she reasoned, and though she did feel insulted by his protectiveness, she was glad that he was going to be doing the talking and not her.

Sitting back and found fear starting to rise within her as she thought about the ensuing conversation with her parents. She hoped it went well but she knew that it probably wouldn't.

**Authors note: in the future this kind of turn around should not be expected but right now I would like to keep this pace. Several notes I would like to make LMG (Lannister Mobile Group) is part of the LHG (Lannister holdings group) which is what owns the Lannisport stags and while this isn't an issue yet it is a distinction that I would like to make. Thanks alot and review and I don't know other things too please**


	3. A nice family dinner

**Quick note: I rewrote the ending of the last chapter to just make the story flow better so if you haven't read that go and do before this.**

It wasn't until halfway through the day until Arya had realised that she had brought nothing good to wear to supper at the Ritz with her from Braavos, which according to Tywin was her father's favorite restaurant in Lannisport. So in desperate need she had asked Tywin, who had in turned lead her to Cersei's room, where he said there were things of a young Cersei that should fit her. So now Arya sat in the room of the daughter of her soon to be childs father, trying on dresses that had been made for a fourteen year old not a eighteen year old who hated dresses. Most of them weren't so bad looking, just nothing really matched her plain style, most being gaudy things with designer name and price tags that could also be a down payment on a small house.

After a while of shifting through a mass of pink and red, Arya found a dress that she found tolerable. It was a grey dress with a simple beaded top and a bottom that reached to her knees. Arya found it quite childish, as it looked like something a middle schooler who had just discovered her breast would wear to impress a boy whose hair somehow had better volume than hers, but she needed something and it would get the job done.

"You look nice", Tywin said behind her, as he leaned against the door frame, "Cersei could never really pull it off, to plain I guess".

"I feel like a six year old", Arya replied putting on a pouting face, "a six year old that just discovered makeup and dresses".

"A little bit better than that", he replied, "and anyway we'll be leaving in twenty, just letting you know", he said before again leaving her alone in Cersei's room.

Realizing how much time had passed Arya went over a quick mental checklist of what she need, dress check, hair and makeup check, shoe's check, deodorant check, pocket book? Goddammit Arya thought to herself as she again dived into the swamp that was Cersei's closet looking for a purse. After a short search she found something that at least mildly matched her dress, stuffed her phone and wallet into it and marched out of the room.

Walking out into the foyer she found Tywin waiting for her. He wore a sharp black two piece suit with rolex on his wrist, looking every bit a polished businessman who owned several international conglomerates, and was richer than several of the smaller free cities.

"You ready", he asked as he moved outside into the waiting limousine.

The ride to the Ritz was a silent affair, Arya staring out the limo's windows, watching the fading light that cascaded and enveloped Lannisport, it was a pretty a city she thought to herself. The fading light bounced of the glass skyscrapers making it look as if the city had a great many torches poking into the sky. Arya watched as a mother and father pushed a stroller down the boardwalk basking in the late afternoon glow, smiling and laughing at some unheard joke. Their joy was lost on her as she rode in silence, looking over at Tywin she found him wearing a blank expression, showing neither fear nor giddiness.

The ride was shorter than she expected and before she knew they had arrived at a large neo-classical looking building from which soft jazz wafted and an amiable aura of voices assaulted her senses as she left the limo. Walking to the door she noticed a large number of couples in a roped off line with the word "RESERVATIONS" tacked at its beginning.

"Did you reserve a table", Arya asked, mildly worried that they would need to wait, something Arya detested with a passion.

"To be honest", Tywin answered, sounding rather amused at her question, "I haven't reserved seats in years". Tywin gave her a little twinkle of the eyes as the took the steps into restaurant, "nobody ever wants to be the guy to tell a billionaire that he'll have to wait for table", he said as they arrived at the reception desk.

He was right about the not waiting part, because almost as soon as they were at the desk they were being led to a table for four in the corner, as Tywin had requested privacy. Sitting down at the table, Arya felt butterflies take flight in her stomach as she tried to focus on the menu. It was one of those high class menu's, where everything was in french and everything pretty much a damn novel about the origins of the dish and nothing was under forty dollars.

"Ned", Tywin beamed as her parents walked to the table, "I should inform you, that you are indeed, late". Arya looked at her watch and found that her parents were indeed three minutes early.

Looking unperturbed by Tywin's comment, Ned answered in a hearty tone, "well I would be early if I hadn't had the decency to try and find you a girl for you, yah celibate idiot". Arya could almost hear her face turn red at her fathers comment.

"And how are you doing Arya", her father said as he enveloped her in a bear hug, "my you look great", he said pulling away from her, "where did you get this dress"?

"Bought it as little self indulgence", Arya said in a girly tone as she tried to think of a quick lie to tell him.

From the inquisitive look he gave her, he was not buying it, "well you look wonderful, dear", he said to her and looking to Tywin asked, "what have you done to my daughter", before laughing and stalking off to his seat with Tywin.

"You look wonderful dear", Catelyn said as she embraced Arya, " that dress does look wonderful on you, makes your eyes pop", she added before taking her seat along with Arya.

"Well this internship must be going magnificently", Ned started, looking Tywin intently in the eye, "because you have gotten Arya to wear a pretty dress, something we've been trying to do that for eighteen years and all we have to show for it is bite marks and the occasional death threat", Ned said, giving Arya one of his almost cliched 'I'm making fun of you' looks.

The Stark half table erupted into a sedated laughter, her mother and father seemingly finding the joke much funnier than either her or Tywin did. "Well she has been amazing", Tywin started, looking at Arya the same way her father would when he was particularly proud of something she had done, "you said she was good, but I believe you were wrong, she's been incredible".

Catelyn and Ned practically shown like flashlights at Tywin's praise of her. She could summarize why they were so excited, for as long as she could remember, Arya had been the problem child, getting into fights, hanging with a less than savory crowd, engaging in a mild drug problem and doing anything and everything that was unbecoming of her sex. They had spent their whole lives looking for the thing that was right for her, and they in there own minds had just found what Arya calling was, the place where she would finally be mature. I'm going to disappoint them in just a few minutes, Arya thought looking at there smiling faces as they laughed at some joke Tywin had made but she had been too busy thinking too listened to.

"So", Catelyn said as she turned to face Arya, "is there any special man in your life, or women for that matter". Arya had never been very interested in boys or well anybody for that matter, so her mothers questioning of her love life was not unexpected, and more of a necessary part of conversing with anyone in her family, especially Sansa who for the past year had lobbed man after man at Arya in a desperate attempts to get her in a relationship.

"No nothing worth noting", Arya answered, trying to sound as neutral and uncaring as possible.

"But there has been something", her mother asked, with an almost feverish look on her face, "oh and don't give me that look, I just want to know if you are having any love life", her mother added after seeing Arya's exasperated reaction to her words.

That was how the dinner went, lost of words without much being said. Arya talked to Catelyn about work and Ned when he asked about what Braavos was like and how she liked. Soon their food had come and went, Arya gulping it down having barely even tasted it. After a while Ned, Catelyn and Tywin all started to talk amongst themselves, leaving Arya to wait silently. Arya could feel her fear and trepidation start to boil, how would Ned take it, it would all be fine in the end, right?

After the dinner plates had come and been taken away, and a reasonably long period of conversation had elapsed, Tywin cleared his throat. "So several weeks ago", he started, looking between Arya and her parents, "me and Arya went out to dinner and we discussed her future". Arya looked to her parents and found them almost glowing with excitement, "and well", Tywin continued, "one thing led to another and me and her had sex". The metamorphys from happiness to shock that played across her parents faces would have been hilarious to Arya if she was not in her present situation. "And well yesterday she informed me that she's pregnant".

And there was silence, he'd said it, it was out in the open and they were going to have to deal with but in the meantime there was just silence. Arya watched as her mother looked over at her, a pained and most motherly face showing, while her father's brow furrowed as he seemed to be trying to kill Tywin with a stare. For his part Tywin stood his ground, unflinching and giving off that cold confidence that he did so often.

It was after was seemed to be an eternity before Ned broke the silence, "what"?, he said in a voice that reminded her of a direwolves growl. "You did what" anger was now visible on his with, "with my daughter".

"Ned", Tywin started, his voice giving any hint that he was afraid, "I assure you what happened between us was completely consensual.

"Oh thats great", Ned practically yelled at Tywin, "it was consensual. And now just because of some 'consensual sex' you're having a child with my daughter, real fucking comforting. My daughter", his voice began to crack as tears became visible on his eyes, "my daughter. You're unbelievable Tywin. I trusted you, I thought maybe you could show my daughter a little responsibility, but I didn't think you were gonna fuck her".

Arya began to feel her eyes water as her father went on a tirade against Tywin.

"You know Tywin if you wanted to hurt us"...He went on and on but she wasn't listening anymore as the tears cascaded down her face, "she's my goddamn daughter you FUCK", she heard him growl. Looking over to her mother's eyes she saw tears in them too, and she felt her mothers had stretch out and stroke her side.

"YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHIT", she heard Ned roar at Tywin.

But suddenly the rage was interrupted by the much more calm and feminine voice of her mother broke in, "Ned", she said softly. Looking at her Ned opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by Catelyn, "shut your mouth Ned, and you to Tywin", she started, "I don't care what happened or how this happened or who did the happening right now", there was a fire and a passion in Catelyn's words that Arya had never heard before, an almost feral tone took her speech, "but I do know that my daughter is in a lot of pain right now, so you two will act civilised and not do anything to stupid, because I am taking Arya home".

"Which home"? Tywin asked.

"Yours", Catelyn growled, as she grabbed Arya's hand and dragged her with her out of the restaurant leaving two very stunned men in her wake.

"Lannister mansion", her mother told the driver of the limo before entering it with Arya in tow.

Arya felt her eyes burst again as the limo took off onto the highway. It only took a moment before her mom grabbed her and held Arya in her arms.

"It's gonna be ok", she said as she patted Arya's back, "it's all going to be fine". Her mother started to run her hands through her hair in the same way as she had done when Arya had been young and something bad had happened, I never used to like it when she did this Arya thought as she moved closer to her. They stayed like that for the whole ride back to the mansion, and when they arrived Catelyn swiftly led Arya to her her room.

"I'm scarred", Arya said as she undressed with the help of her mother, "I'm really scared" her voice trembling at the end.

"It's ok, it's all going to ok", Catelyn said in a voice that could probably calm a charging bull, "now go to sleep you've had a long day", Arya heard her saying as she drifted into a dreamless and restless sleep.

The silence that had rested between the two of them was pregnant with emotion. Sitting staring at an outraged Ned, Tywin sighed and said, "are you quite done"? The defeated look that Ned sent his way gave him his answer, "Ned", he continued, "if it's any consolation I am sorry, I never meant to hurt you or your daughter, and"...

Ned stopped him before he continued, "I get it, I understand, it happened and you're at least trying to be responsible for, but don't get me wrong I'm pissed". For a long moment the two men sized each other up, "well at least its you and not some dumb punk who doesn't have twenty dollars to his name". The joke wasn't funny but they both laughed anyway, but for very different reasons. "Tywin I must ask you this", Ned said the fire from earlier returning to his eyes, "will you make right by this"?

"What do you mean by 'make right'? Tywin asked confused as to what the younger man meant.

"I mean will you marry her".

Tywin was shocked, marry her, what? It took several more seconds before the more pragmatic parts of his head put order to the discombobulated mess that his mind had become, "of course if you think that is best and if she's willing to", he answered him. And again his mind revolted against him. Marry her! No, you couldn't do that, not after her, Tywin thought as he remembered Joanna. Tywin quickly shook his head and said to Ned, "you know this place does have a wonderful bar".

"You just read my mind", Ned said to him as he stood, a wry smile crossing his face, "what do you drink".

"Well usually nothing strong, but I hear they have a couple Nordo-Rando's in stock", Tywin said about the forty thousand dollar vodka that only four cases of had been made and that he was also planning on consuming.

The two billionaires sauntered up to the bar taking seats before Ned answered him, "sounds perfect", he answered as the bartender came to serve them. He looked intimidated, but Tywin thought as he would probably be intimidated if he was about to serve two of the richest men in the world.

"What can I get you", the pimpled faced whelp said in a wavering voice.

"The Nordo-Rando", Ned said, making the boys face go white, seeing as he had probably never even thought someone would drop so much on alcohol.

"Like shots, sir", he said after he was able to recover from his surprise.

"No the WHOLE FUCKING BOTTLE", Ned shouted at him, apparently not wanting to waste time.

As the bartender moved to fulfill the order, Tywin added, "how about you make that two bottles", as he removed his black Westor Express card to pay. The kid came back quickly with the bottles and two shot glasses. Opening the bottle he poured his vodka into the shot glass as Ned did the same.

"A toast", Ned started, "to the future, to our families, to your health, to my health, to the fact that the one child that I thought was gay is pregnant", Ned paused to laugh while Tywin nodded in agreement, "to all the fights to come, to all the people we will hurt, to new life, to change, to making the best of a situation, to finally saying 'fuck you Tywin', and finally to knowing that my daughter is having a child with a man thats older than me". The clinked their glasses before they both in unison took their glasses to their lips and drank.

Arya had been laying in her bed with face pressed against a pillow for several minutes as the nausea rolled through her body. She was trying to fight it, but after a while lost as she ran to the bathroom to excavate the contents of her stomach.

As Arya heaved into the toilet, she felt someone pull her hair up so to keep it from getting messy and put a hand upon her shoulder. "There we go Arya", she heard her sister Sansa say in her ridiculously annoying voice as she patted her back, "let it all out". Arya tried to give Sansa a dirty look but as soon as she turned her head to look at her another wave of nausea hit her and again she heaved into the toilet. "You know", Arya could almost hear Sansa's self-righteous pity as she spoke to her, "this was never really the way I envisioned you letting us know you were pregnant, I always thought you'd find a man before you put something in the oven, but I can't say I'm not happy for you", Sansa was never one to hide her feelings about anything, especially when she thought is was important, and Arya knew that Sansa was sorry for her. I don't need your pity Arya thought to herself as another bout of nausea pinned her to the toilet

Having finally finished heaving Arya looked at Sansa as spittle dripped from her mouth, "how long have you been here", she asked

"Oh mom called me last night; you've got a little something there, let me get that", Sansa almost sang to her as she reached for a towel to wipe Arya's mouth. "And I've been keeping watch on you ever since dad and Tywin showed up". Sansa smiled as she stared down at Arya, "oh yeah you didn't get to see that", Sansa said smiling as if she was about to tell a dirty joke.

"What happened", Arya asked.

"Oh well dad and Tywin seemed to have thought that getting drunk was a great idea after you left the Ritz with mom", Sansa's face was lit up with a massive smile as she spoke, "and well they got arrested for 'public intoxications' they had a police officer bring them back here and everything". Both sister's broke into laughter as Arya sat on the tile of the bathroom floor, "and guess where the officer had found them", Sansa said pausing for dramatic effect, "in a dance club drunk of their asses dancing to pop music".

Arya watched as Sansa rolled in laughter after finishing, I guess I just had to be there, Arya thought to herself as Sansa's laughter turned hysterical. Arya's and Sansa's relationship had never been a strong one, with Sansa being more into boy bands and chick flicks while Arya had been into sports and metal. For as long as Arya could remember had always seemed to fight over the smallest of things, from when Arya threw food on Sansa's face, to why Arya wasn't so nice to Sansa's early boyfriends, they seemed so trivial now, Arya thought. As they grew older though they had became closer than they were in there childhood, especially after Sansa had dumped Joffrey and started dating his former bodyguard Sandor. Yet the most annoying parts of Sansa's personality remained, her constant poise, her need for attention from everyone, and her ability to look at anyone and make them feel like she was judging them. "Are you quite done", Arya asked Sansa began to gain control of herself.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, you...you, well it was, it was funny", Sansa stated in a stammering voice as she followed Arya into her room. "Are you feeling alright", Sansa continued as Arya searched her bag for something to wear, "because of you know, your current state", Arya could almost hear the cogs in Sansa's head turn as she tried to think of a good way to say what she wanted to say, "it would be understandable if you didn't feel like doing anything, and well just rested", she finished giving Arya the same look that she gave when she saw a particularly sad commercial about the orphans or something of that manner.

"You know Sansa", Arya started her voice sounding angry as she pulled on a pair of sophie's to go along with her two sizes too big band t-shirt, "you don't have to treat me like that".

"Like what", Sansa replied looking surprised by the anger in her sister's words.

"Like that, like how you treat everyone around you", Arya said as she felt herself loose her temper at her sister, "like your better then them, like how you waltz around like you're the queen of the fucking world all the time, like how..."

The hurt look in Sansa's eyes stopped Arya mid sentence, "Sansa", Arya started as she about to apologize, before Sansa cut her off.

"I get it Arya, I get it, I'll be going", Sansa retorted as she made to leave the room, before Arya blocked her.

"Sansa", Arya said staring into her sister's eyes trying to do her best 'I'm sorry' face as she physically blocked Sansa's path to the door, "I didn't mean that, I'm just, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that".

"Oh it's ok", Sansa replied as she grabbed Arya and hugged her, pulling away she looked at Arya and said, "just imagine you've got a little Arry in there", Sansa was now looking at her clothes, "and boy we need to get you something new to wear, I'm thinking we go for a little shopping spree. Go to the mall, pick up lunch, look at dresses, and sense you'll be needing them soon we could find you some nice maternity wear", Sansa practically sounded like a kid as she held Arya's hands and started to skip up and down in excitement.

Arya groaned as she felt Sansa pull her out of her room, every time Arya ever saw her, it was always this, 'Arya you need to get a new wardrobe' or something along those lines, I detest shopping Arya thought to herself, but seeing as her sister seemed quite intense about this and that she didn't feel like fighting with her sister again, she went along with it. "Sansa this really isn't necessary", she said in a feeble attempt to stop her sister, but the glare Sansa threw back at her told her she had lost any chance of escaping the coming shopping hell.

As they walked by the living room she caught sight of her father lying on a sofa looking like a zombie who had a final exam in an hour. Sansa bounded up to her mother and explained what they were to be doing and after a few moments of wheedling with her mother they were off. As they got into Sansa's bright pink Lorenta, Sansa looked at Arya and said, "oh don't give me that pouty face, you need some new clothes and anyways I wanna get you out of this place". Arya looked back at the mansion as Sansa sped off, perhaps it is good that I get away for a bit she thought to herself as her sister drove her to god knows where.

**Authors note: So for this story I will try to update at least once a week, also review if you have anything to say and thank you so much for you many views.**


	4. New plans

"And this will go great on you, when you know, you're further along", the girl said as she held up a pink frilly dress that looked utterly un-Arya like. This whole trip to the mall had turned into a disaster, seeing as Sansa had dragged her into the most wretchedly girly maternity store she could find. "Oh isn't wonderful", Sansa cooed as she saw the dress."Go on try it out" she added thrusting the dress to Arya. _This is going to be a long day_, Arya thought as she entered the dressing room.

* * *

><p>"So as far as we can tell the whole things working of a 2.3 Ghz dragon cpu, a 1.3 Ghz Unsullied Gpu and 4gb of RAM, nobody knows about internal storage but I would guess that it's in the 16 to 64 gb range, add in a 1920x1080 16:9 screen with a capacitive touch screen and who have got a beast of a phone. But thats not the end, its on the software side where it supposedly really leapfrogs anything we've got, a friend of mine who works in their r&amp;d told me it was like 'somebody took everything everyone hates about mobiles set them on fire and made something everybody and everyone can use and will love'. Gentlemen we have a problem, this Tphone is our worst nightmare, it can destroy all and to be honest I don't know how to fight it, my company has nothing that can even compete within the next two year cycle and on the software side we're all about to get shot to hell by this thing", Jon Arryn finished sounding distressed.<p>

Tywin and Ned were both sitting his seldom used conference room around a projector that displayed the faces of several Westeros industry leaders. "Fuck", Ned muttered softly, while shaking his head in a defeated manner, "Anyone got any idea's"?

"Lawsuits", Stannis Baratheon interjected immediately, "keep them off the continent, hell we all have political weight, how about we squeeze some special interests and get some tariffs put on the damn thing make it to expensive".

"Our you fucking retarded"? Arryn retorted, "we have to seem like the good guys in this, and that right there is not the way to do that".

"Back alley smear campaign", Ned said before Arryn could go on, "get the conservatives and the liberals talking about it, but we have seem out of it, that should give a couple months to scram together something the kids want".

"But thats our problem, we're going to lose all cool we had in the first place, we need products not a smear campaign", Arryn answered Ned angrily, "what about you Tywin, you have any brilliant ideas".

"I might", Tywin answered, "you all know of rainbow softwares", they nodded in acknowledgement, "well a couple months ago Loras, from rainbow, called me a told me about an os he was working on, he needed a partner, someone who could release it into the mobile space, since its supposed to be an multi system os. We were thinking about building a couple medium range phones for, not spending a lot on it, but I think that this can be the fix to our problem".

Everyone looked thoroughly confused by his statement, "what do you mean by that", Ned asked after a moment of silence.

"I mean multi company use of the Rainbow os, look I know we've never done something like this, but right now we need solidarity right now".

"And you want us all to destroy our product ecosystems, and throw our companies futures in with a software company that's biggest achievement so far has been making smut easy to find", Arryn said in the most contemptuous voice Tywin had ever heard.

The conference was immediately invaded by a stifling silence as Ned and Stannis looked from the fuming form of Arryn to the cold appraising impassive face Tywin was giving off, slowly and has neutral as he could Tywin answered, "yes, that is what I'm suggesting", their faces were not friendly, "look we're being faced by a competitor that is younger, trendier, and in all likeliness smarter than us, if we don't change our business strategy we will die. Face it, we're doomed if we don't change, we've always had this friendly competition thing, not strong enough to destroy each other but strong enough to keep competitors out. We need a united but separate front, beat her in every market, low, mid, high range phones hell put the damn thing on tablets, fill the market with these things that have consistency, but also keep things different between companies, compete with each other just as much as we compete with her, thats the only way we will survive, and if you don't join me, me and her and everyone who joins me will eat you alive".

"Your full of shit Tywin", Arryn said before unceremoniously disconnecting from the line.

"Anyone else", Tywin asked looking from Ned to Stannis.

"Send me a data pack on this whole thing, I'll consider it, oh and Tywin congratulations", Stannis said before also cutting the line.'

"Oh yeah I told him", Ned said after Tywin gave him a quizzical look.

"Are you in", Tywin asked not wanting know how many other people had been told about him and Arya.

"I'll think about it, give me the data pack too, but you know Arryn isn't going to join, his skulls too damn thick", Ned answered.

For the second time in several minutes the room was taken by a pregnant silence, as both men stared into each others eyes. Tywin had always thought was an odd character, straight as an arrow, never bouncing around with pretty words or intrigue, but also more honorable and kindhearted than any other man Tywin could say he knew well. Maybe that why Stark enterprises was on a slow decline towards bankruptcy, not many people knew that but then again there was not much that slipped past Tywin. "Ned", Tywin started trying to put a soft empathetic twist on his words, "I know things have been tough for your company the last couple years, but I really do think this is a great time to, well restart, rebuild the empire you once had".

"No", Ned answered sounding forlorn, "finding out about you and Arya has been tough, the last three have been hell, and if you really think this os can save my company, I would be wanting if I did not heed your words, cause Tywin like it or not from yesterday on our fortunes our very intertwined".

"We need to talk about how things are gonna be".

"Yes, yes we are".

* * *

><p>Arya was tired, dead tired, everything and everywhere ached. God I hate shopping, she thought to herself as Sansa pulled into the Lannister mansion driveway. "Oh that was so much fun", Sansa cooed as Arya exited her car, "well I'll see you around and really that pink dress brings out your eyes". Arya shrugged as she heaved shopping bags out of the car, gods why did I agree to go with her. Entering the house Arya immediately was assaulted by the smell of pasta being cooked Dropping her bags Arya rushed to the kitchen to find Tywin wearing an apron as he scooped diced tomatoes into a pot. "Well you look homely", Arya said before he turned to look at her.<p>

"How was shopping"? He asked as he turned to her, revealing that the apron was covered in flowers, "oh don't laugh Joanna got for me as a joke and I haven't had the heart to get rid of it". Every bit of humor rushed out of Arya at the mention of Tywin dead wife, "oh don't look so melancholy".

"You sound like my mom"!

"I'm old enough to be your mother", Tywin said giving her a hint of a smile.

"First please don't remind me of that, and second you seem to, from what I remember, lack a vagina", Arya retorted feeling her face flush in annoyance.

"You're going to be a mother soon", Tywin said his face losing all traces of joviality at his words.

"Don't remind me of that either".

"Sorry it's just weird for me to wrap my head around this", Tywin said as he waved his hands to indicate the two of them. "Oh pasta's almost ready", Tywin added turning back to his her and stirring the contents of the pots in front of him, "your parents left earlier, said they be back on tuesday but they had some business to attend to".

"Yeah I know they texted me".

They ate in silence, chewing, drinking and swallowing without a word between the two of them. Arya didn't feel like talking and thankfully neither did Tywin.

When they finished Tywin pushed his plate forward and sighed, visibly wrestling with his emotions. Before Tywin could speak Arya headed him off, "so I heard you had a little to much last night after I left", her smirk almost enveloped her face as she spoke.

"Yeah it got a little crazy".

"What has she like"?

"Who", Tywin asked clearly confused.

"Joanna" Arya answered, he hadn't ever spoken of her and she wanted to find out.

"I don't want to talk about that right now", Tywin answered his face taut and emotionless.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up".

"No,no its ok, I'm just not really ready to talk about her", Tywin sad looking sadder than Arya had ever seen him. "Arya can I ask you a question"?

"Of course", Arya answered.

"Arya", Tywin said as he moved to one knee and opened a box to revealing a diamond ring, "will you marry me"?


	5. Meeting the family

The wood was cold against Tywin's shifted uncomfortably against the cold wood that he sat on. His thoughts swirled as he looked at his now-for the first time in twenty years- filled bed. It was strange that his second the second to fill that space was so different than the first, more angry and feisty but not have as well put together and so unsure of herself that he surprised she had no tattoo's proclaiming how sure she was in herself. Arya was a problem, but like all problem's it could be fixed, and Tywin hoped become more of a help than a hindrance, and anyway it was about time that he had someone around him.

"If they ever make a movie about our lives this will have to be a scene," Tywin hear Arya say as she sat up in the bed, covering her breasts with a sheet.

"And why is that?"

"Because just look at our staging, this whole thing has to be a metaphor for something, like I don't know how physically close we our, yet how emotionally unattached," Arya answered with a shrug.

"Don't write books is my career advice to you," he answered in his usual cold voice, as he shifted to a side in order to cover his genetalia. They stared into each others eyes for several seconds, Arya once moving her mouth as if to say something but the words never came; she has gray eyes Tywin thought to himself, realising it for the for the first time.

"So whats next?" Arya asked as she sunk back into the bed, "our we a 'thing' or is this just casual, what about this," she pointed to her stomach, "what are we going to do about this. I don't wanna be a mother Tywin, I don't wanna be some old rich guys stay home wife, I don't want this."

"We rarely get what we want Arya, and even when we do it's usually a disappointment."

"Again you keep sounding like my father."

"This isn't a death sentence you know you can always have a career, you can always go to school, you can do whatever you like within reason, I don't intend whatever 'we' our to be that to you. I see that face, you shouldn't resent me for your own actions."

"You were there too," Arya replied as her voice rose in volume.

"I was, and I will continue to be Arya." Tywin rose and sauntered over to his dresser pulling out a pair of boxer and slipping them on, Arya eyes following him the whole time, "and anyway," he continued, "you and I will have plenty of time for resentment, I wouldn't want to get started on it so early in our relationship." Tywin turned and stared at stared at Arya until after a moment her eyes diverted themselves from his gaze and he could feel that she at least had put this argument off for another time. "You have a doctors appointment today at noon," tywin continued, " and I have business to attend to today, but before that I'm going to go on a run," after a moments pause Tywin continued, "do you want to join me?"

* * *

><p>The run hadn't really been much of a run, more of a light jog around a three mile path that surrounded the Lannister estate. The path wrapped its way through light woods and past bubbling streams, it was a weird juxtaposition to the opulence of the manor Arya thought to herself as the two of them made there way back to the manor. There run had been a mostly silent affair with Tywin speaking nothing more than terse directions.<p>

"You don't have to slow yourself for me," Arya started, "I'm not fat yet."

"I don't run that fast," Tywin offered in response with his usual monotone voice and blank face, as they entered the mansion through a back patio entrance. Upon entering the estate Arya was assaulted by the smell of bacon cooking and the sound of light conversation. "Now who could be here," Tywin said taking off towards the kitchen, clearly perplexed by the scents and sounds.

Arya followed him wordlessly, and upon entering the kitchen was treated to the sight of Cersei and Jaime Lannister cooking bacon. Silence echoed through the kitchen as Tywin stared at his children, and they stared back, obviously surprised by his entrance. Jaime, who looked dressed to walk down a fashion show runway, came to his senses first, "hey dad." Jaime's words seemed forced, like calling his father dad was a chore and not something he did regularly.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Well," Cersei started, her voice sounding cold, "we heard about what was happening and well we had to come, would seem like we didn't care if we didn't show up at least."

"Wait what," Tywin asked confusion playing on his face.

"You know, you and the kid," Cersei motioned towards Arya, "baby and such, never thought it would be someone so plain but whatever you like," Arya decided then that she didn't like Cersei, "anyways the media storm for this is going to be a 10 on the Richter scale but thats always manageable."

"How did you find out," Tywin didn't appear to be even fazed by Cersei ramblings and dehumanization of herself.

"Oh well you know how I have a hand in everything," a nod from Tywin, "well this report emails me some photo's, you at coffee and then three weeks later on an unannounced back from the free cities back to here, and then some snippet about you two being seen with Ned and Catelyn and well I had to investigate, oh and don't give me that stupefied face you were about as discrete as well something not discrete the news will know in a few days anyway, they know tidbits already." Finishing her speech Cersei for the first time looked at Arya, "oh you must be her," she exclaimed as Arya tried to scowl the bitch into an early grave.

"Cersei be decent," Jaime said as he moved away from the pan he had been cooking at, "anyways foods ready."

After a protracted yet thankfully short breakfast Arya excused herself. Knowing nothing better to do, Arya found herself exploring the Lannister estate. It was an impressive home, built and remodeled over a three hundred year period during the decline of the great families, Arya shook herself as the facts Septa Mordane had drilled into her in those god awful tutor sessions she and Sansa had been forced into. Arya walked up slowly a spiralling staircase and found herself standing in an expansive loft, bare of furniture its one interesting aspect was a massive windows that upon closer inspection showed the best view of Lannisport she had ever seen. Arya stood there for several minutes soaking up every detail of the expansive city that lay below her. "Beautiful aye?"

"AWWE," Arya screamed as she turned to face a smile Jaime.

"Oh sorry didn't mean to scare you." Arya stood there for a moment panting slightly lost for words, "I'll take your silence as acceptance," Jaime said before flashing her a smile so big that if she had been told that he was a super massive gas ball that emitted light because of nuclear explosions, she would have had a hard time not believing them. Jaime seemed to know she wasn't going to answer as he continued without waiting for her to answer, "I should apologize for Cersei, she's just like that."

"No need," Arya heard herself stammer out after a moment.

"When me and Cersei were little we used to come up here and try and see what it would be like to live down there," Jaime said as he moved to the window sill and rested his arms on it, "you see we didn't get out of here much and didn't have that many friends and our fantasies were about being normal, as we got older I kept coming up here, Cersei didn't." The depression of Jaime's voice made the room feel as if an overly stuffy blanket had been draped over the whole room, stifling the atmosphere to just sadness.

"Is that what its going to be like for me, with this," Arya pointed to her stomach, "going into unused rooms and staring into to the distance wishing for it to be different?"

"Back then he wasn't half as ok as he is now."

"I don't want this," the vehemence in Arya's voice surprised even her.

Arya stared at her feet for what felt like an eternity before looking up at Jaime's empathetic gaze. "Don't hurt him, please. I know he's not loving or whatever but he cares in his own way and I don't know but he has needed someone for so long and could you be that someone?"

Arya felt herself smile at Jaime's request, "Is it always like this with you lannisters?"

"Like what?"

"Dramatic."

"Oh that, to be honest its been pretty chill, and well welcome to the family."

* * *

><p>"Yeah Ned I asked her, and well she didn't take it that well."<p>

"By take it well, do you mean take it like Arya or anything especially dramatic," Tywin heard Ned reply across the phone line.

"Well she got angry at first and then I explained things and she calmed down and we talked about stuff for a while and next thing you know were having sex."

"This seems like a habit of yours Tywin," Ned replied with a soft laugh, "did she give you an answer."

"No and yes."

"Well no to the proposal," Tywin heard a sharp intake of air over the line, "not a very hard no but a no, but the whole parenting thing she seemed more into but nothing I can hold over her as a promist."

"Well I guess that's good."

"Oh and Ned Cersei and Jaime showed up and they seemed to know everything."

"So?" Replied ned.

"So that means that soon if not already the tabloids are picking this whole thing up, Ned it's going to leak soon and we need to head it all off."

"I'll fly in tomorrow, I'll bring my pr people you bring yours, we'll figure out a strategy to tackling this whole thing."

"Ok thanks Ned seeya tomorrow," Tywin ended the call and turned back to his bed.


	6. Business as unusual

"Well so Sansa is in her room talking to my parents and me and jon were in the living room playing video games or something, Theon somehow convinced Robb that it would be a great idea to try on Sansa's dress, because you know thats what you do when your sister just broke off an engagement. So Robb puts the dress on, ripped the entire back of it in the process, and proceeds to have it get stuck and freaks out." Arya and Jaime were both sitting cross legged on the floor of the room that he had found her in earlier, trading stories of their childhoods. "So Robb starts running around the house screaming, and he runs past me and jon, and obviously we have to chase him down and so were running after him and he trips and me and jon pile drive him into the ground. So were all there laughing and rolling around in the ground making giant fools of ourselves and this door opens and my dad and mom and Sansa all just staring at us, so yeah thats the story of how we ruined Sansa's wedding dress."

Jaime leaned back in laughter at the end of Arya's story, "that's great", Jaime choked out as he calmed down. "So when we were like nine I played football for the pee wee league," Jaime picking up the storytelling in much the same matter as they had done for the past hour, "and Cersei was mad because she wanted to play football too but dad had forbidden it." It was odd for Arya to hear Jaime refer to Tywin as such, it felt like the world was trying to remind her constantly of the age difference between the two of them. "So one day she cuts her hair real short, locks me in my room, goes out and scores four touchdowns, and dad never found out."

"Its gonna be weird, you know."

"What," Jaime asked surprised at Arya's injection of melancholy into there conversation.

"You know having your dads baby and everything. Like your cool," Arya stopped suddenly unsure on how to continue, "but I don't think Cersei likes me and I've never met Tyrion and whenever people find out about this, everyone and their mother is going to rip me apart."

"They are going to find some very creative ways to call you a slut."

"Not helping."

"Sorry," Jaime didn't sound very sorry, "but thats just how its gonna be, people our going to rip you apart for no other reason than that its what making ratings good, but they'll forget about you and move on to whoever that Tyrell girl is fucking now."

"I'm still scared," Arya answered as she tucked her legs into her chest and wrapped her arms around them, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

"Tywin will take care of you, your dad will take care of you, I'll take care of you, you'll be ok," Jaime answered with a fervent sincerity.

For anyone else that answer would have made them happy, who wouldn't want to taken care of, but Arya didn't want that. She didn't really know what she wanted.

"But thats not what you care about," Jaime asked after Arya had been silent for several seconds, "you don't know what it is that you do want either."

"You're right I don't know," Arya answered as she tucked her head into the crevice between her chest and knees.

"It's wonderful to see that you two get along so well." Arya whipped her head in surprise as Cersei stood in the middle of the room, a massive smirk planted upon her face.

* * *

><p>Gendry loved football. It was an instinctive thing for him, like the game hand been created for him to love, filling every part of his being. To friends he would often joke that football was a better father than his absentee one, people usually didn't get that it wasn't a joke. Gendry had not had an easy childhood, living in the poorest part of the richest city in the seven kingdoms, but Gendry had made oppurtunity appear out of nothing. His mother had been only able to give him very little, yet with he made something with it, being recruited out of high school into Tobho Mott University as a signal caller. During his days at university he had ate knowledge of the game learning anything and everything about football, at the time it was and idle pastime that Gendry did not know would lead to great things. It was only after he had left college that he found his calling when he took an interim job as the head coach of the Flea's Bottom Flea's, Westero's worst named and at the time worst high school team. In two years and he had taken them from being the worst team in the state to their first ever state championship.<p>

It had all been great until he had taken a coaching position with the Lannisport Stags. When he had first been offered a job as an assistant defensive coordinator for a pro team, Gendry had been ecstatic, until he had realised how bad the Stags really were. Practically since the day Tywin had bought the Stags they had been one of the worst teams in the league, ironic the pundits called it but Gendry knew it was only a matter of horrible personnel and disinterest.

* * *

><p>"Kevan", Tywin's voice boomed as he marched into his brothers office, "I need contingencies."<p>

"You always need contingencies", his portly brother answered as he looked up from a literal mountain of paperwork.

"Not the place for wit Kevan", Tywin retorted.

"Well then contingencies for what Tywin? Are they for your business or maybe for that Stark girl your fucking".

"KEVAN"!

"Tywin I know my own name thank you very much".

"Don't", before Tywin knew he had closed the distance between him and Kevan, "make me do something I would regret". Kevan answered with a simple smile.

"On to theses contingencies then".

"It's not just contingencies that I need", Tywin moved to take his brothers chair as Kevan took on of the seats in front of his desk,"I need plans, courses of actions, I need-"

"Your worried they won't go through with the rainbow OS plan".

"Yes that among many things".

"Tell me Tywin", Kevan shifted his posture forward in his seat as he stared at Tywin, "when you think of what worries you does the baby or the company come first."

"The baby", came Tywin's truthful answer.

"Then we work on that", Kevan leaned back into his chair with his words, "I'm going to guess you want a positive spin".

"Yes".

"Well then why did you fuck her"?

Kevan was probably the only man alive who could ask such a question and expect to have a job afterwards. "I", words seemed suddenly hard for Tywin, "I guess because she, she was independent".

"Tywin you're asking me to do a job I would regularly give to ten publicists, so for the sake of my sanity don't give me bullshit".

Kevan had an uncanny knack for telling when someone when someone was giving a half truth, not a useful as cold pragmatism but useful all the same. "She reminded me of Joanna", he had said it and now he knew it was true, "not because she is like her, but her determination. Kevan you should see it, the sangfroid she has about this whole thing, it's just like her. Thats why."

"Ok, I'll figure out a packet for when this gets leaked".

"Get in touch with Ned, we'll need to coordinate our statements and such".

"Ok, anything else"?

"How the Stags doing"?

"Shitty as usual".

Tywin looked across Kevans desk already bored as the breached the topic of football, probably the reason the suck can't stand the damn game. "Well you're the GM do something about it". Tywin picked up a nicely bound folder that looked intriguing.

"Can't", Tywin's stare asked a question, "you know just as well as me why, we need to get rid of Clegor."

"Hmmmm," Tywin looked back at the folder. It had an interesting title, 'How to Turn the Stags Into A Winning Football Team'.

"Oh you're reading that, some young coach wrote it, good stuff but pretty damning".

"Is that so", Tywin was already wrapped up in the complex strategies that were being put forth in the report.

"Tywin our you willing to love her"?

"Who", tywin asked without lifting his eyes from the paper.

"You know, the Stark girl", a pause as Tywin did not answer, "Arya, our you willing to love her".

"Sure".

"Thats not much of an answer", Kevan angrily retorted crossing his arms.

"Fire Clegor".

"What"?

"You heard me", Tywin looked up from the report, "you said you needed a new coach so fire Clegor, god knows he's breached contract enough times for us to fire him without much of a fuss".

"And who would replace him"?

"Who wrote this report", Tywin asked holding up the folder for Kevan to see.

"His names Gendry Waters."

"Make him your new head coach."


	7. Something new

It took Arya only a couple moments to learn that Cersei liked driving fast, really, really fast, scarier than the exorcist, cross your heart and find peace with god cause these might be your last moments, fast. Yet Arya was finding that the speed wasn't the scariest part, it was Cersei's incessant speaking. "Now this whole thing will be the talk of the town when news breaks", Cersei said as she ran a red light, "everyone will want a piece of the Lannister-Stark baby pie and a lot of people will do anything to get that piece".

"So what are you trying to tell me",Arya asked.

"Oh I'm not trying to tell you anything", Cersei answered as she swerved to miss a motorcycle, "I'm trying to prepare you for whats to come. They will eat you alive if you let them", Cersei swerved again coming precariously close to hitting a soccer mom in a minivan, "you are going to be a spectacle, that's for sure, but how you handle yourself will determine the way that it goes."

"And what do me by that", Arya asked.

"Listen to me girl", Cersei swerved the car into a parking spot and turned to Arya, "You don't matter to me", Cersei said, over pronouncing every word like a fourteen year old talking back to her mother, "but I have a vested interest in you because of my father. That's what i'm saying, so keep your mouth shut and do what the PR people tell you to because god help you if you hurt the image of the Lannisters more than you already will".

Arya kept her mouth shut while she followed Cersei into the cliched looking modernist building that the gynecologist office was located in.

* * *

><p>"Tywin please this is madness", Kevan pleaded as he followed Tywin, "he's twenty four for gods sake". Tywin paused his step for a moment and turned to his brother, "I know", he answered and continued walking.<p>

Tywin had had control of every aspect of his life for almost of it. His companies were shining pillars of efficiency, they printed money figuratively; literally in the case of the printing press a subsidiary of his had been contracted to run, and besides the small embarrassment that was his football team everything had been run to perfection. Things had been perfect.

"I know what this is"! Kevan almost shouted at him.

"Lower your voice", Tywin answered as he looked around the cafeteria that they had entered. Like almost everything to do with the Stags it was a filthily gaudy thing, that reeked of disinterest and an overabundance of wanton spending; Tywin thought as he studied the gold inlay that spread across the room like a disease.

"Oh fuck that Tywin", Tywin looked his brother in the eye, "You're scared, oh and don't you try and deny it, I can smell it on you".

"I didn't know you had such a keen sense of smell Kevan", Tywin heard himself retort.

"Oh this is just wonderful", Kevan said as he waved his hands in the air, Tywin could see several football players staring open mouthed at the two of them. "This girl of yours, I must meet her, she must be special, to have you acting like you were when". A sudden silence overtook Kevan as what he had almost said hung over him. "I'm sorry", his voice was quiet, "that was too far. But you do love her, I can tell", he finished before staring silently at Tywin

For a long moment Tywin let the silence envelope the two of them as he stared into his brothers eyes, and after what felt like an eternity he responded with, "Kevan stop being right", and after another pause continued, "now where is this Gendry"?

"Over there", Kevan quickly pointed as he started of towards a corner of the cafeteria. Took only a moment for Tywin figure out who Gendry. He sat in a corner of the cafeteria, alone, nibbling at a large lunch as he studied a playbook. He had short jet black hair, and a scowl that would make most fearful of him. His jaw was sharp and strong and underneath the workout shirt he wore masses of tight muscles could be seen. Tywin was enough of a student of human psychology to see that he was angry, truthfully a blind man could have seen it, as one would not be blamed for confusing his grip on the playbook with an attempt at murder. He remained unmoving as Tywin and Kevan tooks the seats across from him, and as the studied he remained unmoved in his study. After a while Tywin decided to take the initiative, "you did quite a job back a Flea Bottom", Tywin said as he continued to stare at the boy. "So I have been told", he answered quietly as he finally rose his eyes to meet them, "Kevin", he said with a nod towards Tywin's brother, "and you are"?

"Tywin, Lannister", Gendry and Tywin's eyes met, "a pleasure", Tywin continued extending his hand to Gendry.

"You seem unconvinced", Gendry answered as he took Tywin's hand in a strong grip and shook it.

"So tell me Gendry, how did you turn the worst 1A football team in the country into state champions in a year"?

Gendry sat silently for a second as his face scrunched with concentration, "truthfully there isn't a simple answer", he said after a moment. "Well then give us an outline," Kevin asked. "Well", Gendry pursed his lips and swished his mouth back and for not unlike a goats chewing, "I made the group responsible for the actions of the individual. You show up late for practice, everyone runs laps, you miss an easy pass, everyone runs laps, so on and so forth", Gendry shrugged his shoulders at that. "It wasn't just that though, I installed what they call an uptempo offensive, the idea is basically to get as many plays off as fast as possible", Tywin was glad for the explanation as his football knowledge was close to zero. "We also never punted, always onside kicked it, you know took unnecessary risk".

"How long would it take you to have the same success with that program implemented into this team", Tywin asked as he leaned forward towards Gendry.

"Who are you making the new head coach"? Gendry asked, Tywin kept a straight face but his brother must of given it away, "oh it wasn't that hard, so who is it? Leo Lefford I hope, smartest man with the pedigree to run the team, though he will need help at offensive, and that will leave the defensive coordinator position open". Gendry paused at those words for a second as he appeared to chew over that thought, "is that why you're here to ask me to be the new defensive," Tywin could tell that he could barely hold back his enthusiasm.

"You underestimate yourself Gendry", Tywin answered his face remaining stoic, "I want you as the Stags new head coach". A range of emotions suddenly performed a short play across Gendry's face, as delight led way to fear and finally a cathartic bliss covered his face.

"You", Gendry was silent for a moment before he continued, "you want me to be the head coach of the Stags", his eyes danced between Tywin and Kevan.

"Yes", Tywin answered.

Gendry's eyes fell to his food and a look of intense concentration covered his face as he jutted his chin out in a way that Tywin thought made him look almost childish. "If you want me to do this", he started, "I will need full control", his eyes slowly panned between Kevan and Tywin.

"Of course", Tywin answered, "I'm tired of losing".

"And I mean full control", Gendry continued his voice free of any inhibition, "I mean full control. I make the decisions, I call the shots, I need a manager who helps, doesn't get in my way; comprehend", he finished as he put his left hand up in the same way that a stereotypical Italian chef would, his eyes piercing through Kevan.

"I won't be a bother", Kevan answered sounding rather indignant.

"Mr. Lannister", Gendry continued without out giving Kevan a second glance, "you should know that what I will do to make this team winning will be quite dramatic, no team has ever done. I'm talking about retooling an entire offense and defensive three weeks before the season starts, we'll definitely lose the first three games. I'll have to fire a lot of the coaching staff, is it ok if I bring in some of my old colleagues from Flea Bottom"?

"If it helps you win", Tywin answered.

"Good, good, also Mr. Lannister we're going to have to replace our starting qb".

"With who", Kevan asked, leaning forward a quizzical look covering his face.

"Brienne", Gendry answered without hesitation.

"Why her," Kevan asked a accusatory tone bleeding into his voice.

"Because she's the best", Gendry answered nonchalantly.

"But"...

Kevan didn't get any further as Tywin placed a hand on his shoulder, "Kevan", he started, "I gave Gendry full control, I intend for him to have it". With that a small smile parted Gendry's lips, "Gendry you have a season", Tywin said with all the force he could muster.

Gendry continued to smile as he answered, "I won't fail you sir".

"Don't", Tywin said as he stood and extended his hand to Gendry, "well you know where your new office, get to it".

As they shook hands Gendry opened his mouth once more, "Mr. Lannister thank you very much for this opportunity".

Tywin held Gendry's hand and jutted his neck out towards him, his face coming to a rest several inches to his juniors face, "don't disappoint". With that he let go of his hand, and Gendry quickly took his brothers hand and after another word of thanks to Kevan he exited. Leaving the two of them alone in the cafeteria, Tywin's eyes swung around the room to see almost every eye in the building trained on him, and turning to his brother he asked, "am I really that rare a sight around here".

"No", Kevan responded, "they just expected you to crucify him".

Tywin nodded in understanding and then turned to kevan and said, "you're going to have to take a partial holiday from this job for the next couple of days, I need help on selling this whole rainbow thing".

"Tywin you know I don't have anyone competent enough to take that amount of responsibility, if you do this the team could suffer", Kevan answered as he fell into line next to Tywin.

"Kevan this whole project is more important, I've wasted enough time on this team already today", Tywin answered only to hear an angry muttering behind. "Kevan what did you say".

"Just that I thought you had made a change in your opinion of this", Kevan answered waving his arms in the air. "Are you sure there is nobody who you could put in as a temp for me"?

"Resources our spread thin right now Kevan, you know that", Tywin answered as he opened the door to the parking lot. _We do have someone, _a voice deep in his head said, _to risky another part of him answered. _Tywin turned to face Kevan suddenly and said, "There is someone, let me see about it". He began to turn back to his car before another thought struck him and turning back to Kevan he said, "also listen to the Gendry, he's much smarter than he looks".

"Of course", his brother answered as he entered his car, "very bright".

* * *

><p>"You can't have coffee, remember what that gynecologist said", Cersei said in response to the coffee Arya had tried to order at the Starbucks drive thru they currently occupied. "Sorry", Arya said, sounding not very sorry, "didn't know my childs health was so important to you".<p>

"Shut up Stark, I need my caffeine fix", Cersei retorted angrily before turning to the drive thru speaker and making the longest order for a single cup of coffee that Arya had ever heard. A caffeine fix sounded like the last thing that Cersei needed, she was an angry, overly hyper, idiot, Arya had decided.

"You know for a millenium our families have fought, and you with one fell swoop of your vagina you have ended it".

"Thank you Cersei for your wonderful input", Arya answered.

"Or ended any chance of good feelings between the two of us, I don't know which yet", Cersei finished, looking rather pleased with herself at her wit.

The doctors visit had been miserable, and Arya couldn't wait to get away from the witch that was currently torturing her, "can you just take me home", Arya asked.

"Well sure but we need to get you some clothes first", Cersei answered as Arya tried to stop her gag reflex.

* * *

><p>Three hours and enough clothes to make a reasonably big sail later, Arya was finally dropped off at the Lannister mansion, and with burnout and a scowl left by Cersei. <em>Finally, <em>Arya thought to herself as she stomped through the front door, and leaving her clothes rushed to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Upon entering the kitchen Arya was met by the strange sight of child in a suit staring at her. _Not a child_, Arya said to herself, _Dwarf. _ The Dwarf jumped down off his chair and waddled towards Arya.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Arya", Tyrion Lannister said to her.

_So that took longer to right than I thought, but it was worth it. Tell me how you feel about it. If anyone wants to beta for this I'm still in need._

_Thanks Hahahathegreat_


	8. Aftermath-A place of her own pt1

People like things to be simple. That's a fact, complexity is the last thing anyone wants hear, yet is the thing that fills our world. Idea's are complex, and life is complex, everything worth knowing or doing is complex. Arya understood that more than most people, and she had used that to her advantage wantonly. When her sister had wanted to wear dresses and flirt with boys Arya had read Dostoyevsky, while Sansa gossiped Arya watched Jon grow up with her mother's hate. While girls at her school had tried to hide from how the world was, Arya had embraced it, she read, she watched, and she learned; Arya had made herself valuable, more than simply an object. The term millennial women could be thrown at her with no objections. Yet because of her own stupidity Arya felt that she had reduced her worth back simply to her bodies functions.

"Arya?" Tyrion asked, breaking Arya from her introspection. "Are you ok?"

"Fine", Arya blurted, "fine, just tired." Tyrion stared at her moment before turning his back to her and walking into the kitchen. Looking over his shoulder Tyrion began to talk "I understand my family can be quite tiring." Arya watched as he awkwardly lifted himself into a backless stool that stood next to a granite peninsula.

"Umh," Arya started, "why you are here?"

The little man seemed to be agitated by Arya's question, as his stilted legs shuffled from side to side as his seemed only to focus a bit of dirt in his nails. "You must be a very special girl," he said after several moments, "he is usually so, shall I say, lacking."

"Well he is less lacking than you," Arya retorted.

The little man turned suddenly, muttering something that sounded remarkably like "if I had a dollar," before his mouth turned into a smile and he looked back at her. "As much as I love to trade words, this is not the time for that girl." His short legs swung worthlessly below the chair, unable to reach the rest a good foot below them. "Me and my father have never had an amicable relationship, but he has never been one to ignore ability. Simply Arya you must not allow yourself to be controlled, you must make your own decisions," he finished with a cocksure smirk on his face.

Arya slowly walked towards Tyrion until she stood, towering over him, at the front of his stool. "Never accuse me of not making my own opinion, little man. I know the truth about you, a little man who has even littler morals." Arya stabbed a pointed finger into his chest, "Don't try to play politics with me."

Tyrion sighed audibly before beginning to speak, "you shouldn't dismiss a friend like that."

"When I give a shit I'll tell you," Arya almost shouted before turning and walking out of the room.

As she left Tyrion called after her, "when you do call make sure to get my secretary Shagga."

* * *

><p><em>Today in a surprise turn of events the Lannisport Stags fired head coach Gregor Clegane, replacing him with interim coach Gendry Waters. Now Jimmy how do take this news. <em>

_Well Pete it's a good and a bad. In the good section it means that owner Tywin Lannister seems to finally be interested in his team. As reports our coming in that he cut short a business trip in Braavos to personally fire Clegane, something that suggests a level of involvement that we have never seen from the billionaire. Also with this, a short leave of absence has been announced for general manager Kevan Lannister. The two things suggest that the whole organization is serious about reform. But, and there is a big but, the downside is that this more than likely is not the reform that is needed. I'll say this, and Pete I mean this, Kevan was a good manager, he handled the draft well, he made good trades, and he brought a level of competence to the front office that hadn't been at the Stags for a long time. Also interim head coach Gendry Waters is unproven, he hasn't even coached a single season in the pro's._

_What about his two seasons at Flea's Bottom Jimmy?_

_Well what about it? I tell you, it proved a lot about him. First he's a risk taker; he's a coach that will throw out the how to guide and simply go by his gut, always onside kicks it, always goes for two, always goes for it on fourth down. Second he knows how to make the players care about the team, he is in all honesty one of the most motivational coaches that I have ever seen. Yet despite all the checks in the plus column, he is still unproven, he's young, he has quite the abrasive personality and he is in many cases younger than the guys he's going to be coaching. Yes the guy made the worst team in high ball state champs in two season. Yes thats impressive, future top level coach stuff, yes, but again I can't help but think that this whole thing is a disaster waiting to happen. _

_What about the quarterback situation at the Stags?_

_Well it's a mix of good and bad. On the good side they have probably the hottest rookie in the league right now with Heisman finalist Joffrey, whom they got with the first pick in the draft. But he's not ready for the big time, and probably won't be until later in the season. Which leads us to the current starter Ramsay Snow, who last season showed himself to be a passable, but not great, quarterback. If Gendry can play to his strengths, the flats and crossing routes, with a mix of runs and run option, he could really be used to great effect._

_And what about sixth round pick Brienne?_

_In all honesty she was a gimmick. A shot in the dark that could possibly pay off, teams make them all the time in the later rounds. But the way I see it she doesn't have the physicality to really make it this league, and more than likely will just end up being a back up to the gunners in front of her. _

_Well thanks Jimmy, and we'll be back right after these messages. _

With that Tywin flicked the radio in his car off and sat back into his seat with an audible sigh. He had been sitting in front of Casterly Rock for a long time, simply listening to the radio as news of his decision was announced, sipping on a latte he had picked up on his way back from the training grounds.

Holding his now empty latte Tywin stepped out of his car before a loud ringing assaulted his ears.

"Hello, Tywin speaking," he said answering his cell.

"Tywin it's Catalyn. Do you know where Arya is, she isn't answering my calls?"

"I wouldn't know," Tywin responded, "I'm not her mother."

"Don't get cheeky with me Tywin ," Catalyn responded sounding offended.

"Then don't ask stupid questions," Tywin responded as he ended the call.

Opening the door Tywin stepped into the mansion, and immediately his nostrils were attacked by the sweet smell of things baking. Going to investigate Tywin quickly walked into the kitchen where Arya was staring at the oven. She wore nothing but a large t-shirt emblazoned with the logo for some band Tywin had never heard of, and never planned to hear, and black panties. Tywin stood and simply stared for a moment before Arya noticed him.

"What are you looking at old man," she asked putting special emphasis on the last part.

"You," he answered, "I did not know that you baked?"

"I wanted cake, didn't know where you kept the car keys, so I decided to make myself some."

"Three doors down from my room, open the desk drawer, they're all in there. How was the doctor?"

"Weird, she said that you should have come, glad you didn't." Arya answered as she continued to stare at the oven. "Oh and your son stopped by." Tywin felt a confused look cover his face, "the short one," she answered before he could ask. "Anything I should be concerned about," Tywin asked as a beeper went off. "Wouldn't see why, guys an ass," Arya answered as she retrieved a large cake pan from the oven. "You want some," Arya asked as she began to spread icing on the cake.  
>"I'm good."<p>

"Your loss," came her response as the cake seemed to have grown a good two inches under her zealous icing policy.

"Arya ." She continued to pour icing on to the poor cake. "Arya!" Tywin said with even more force and again to the same result. "ARYA!" He almost yelled, finally get her attention, as she turned to him with a face covered in icing. "What?"

"Get yourself dressed, we're going somewhere for dinner." For a moment Arya stared at him before saying under her breath, "well you didn't have to yell about that."

"Arya!"

"Ok,ok, I'll get dressed, no need to get riled up." Arya answered wiping icing from her face. "Is there an occasion for this?" Arya asked as she licked icing from her fingers.

"I want a burger", Tywin answered as she sauntered out of the room.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later Arya was sitting in the passenger seat of a jet black Jag as Tywin pulled out of Casterly Rock. The mansion was situated on a small plateaued hill that rested next to the mountain that housed the Millennial old seat of the Westerlands. Most of the network of caves and structures that had made up the castle was too unstable to be inhabited, but the curtain walls and spires that sat atop the mountain still stood unflinching to time or nature.<p>

Arya watched the sun outlined the massive mountain. A thousand generation of Lannisters had inhabited that place into time immemorial. And several more had lived in the mansion that sat in its shadow. The legacy of the Lannisters was almost as long as the mountain that they had called home was tall.

"We still own the thing," Tywin said noticing Arya's stare, "not that we use it for much. Overnight school trips and the occasional crazed parachutist is all it is good for but still," Tywin stopped as the words seem to stop on his tongue.

"A nice reminder of what was," Arya supplied.

"Yeah," Tywin said in half hearted agreement before hitting his hand against the radio. The light strumming of a guitar suddenly erupted from the cars speakers as Arya turned back to the mountain.

Soon Tywin was driving through the center of Lannisport. The city flashed by the tinted windows as they drove deeper into its beating heart. A young women in high heels pushed a stroller in front of the car at a red light, her eyes covered in big bug eyed sunglasses. A sneer covered her face as she looked at Arya, as if to condemn her for everything she had ever done.

"You get that often," Tywin asked the women finished crossing the road. "Women love to hate each other, some primal thing," Arya answered as she felt the car accelerate beyond the light. "No wonder it took you all so long to vote,"Tywin responded flatly.

"Yeah it was that," Arya answered as a new started on the radio. A young melancholy women began to sing as they passed a large park filled with families enjoying the afternoon sun. And as the women kept singing Arya became lost in the lyrics.

_Yeah maybe I'm a bad, bad, bad, bad person_

_Well baby, I know_

_And these fingertips, will never run through your skin_

_And those bright blue eyes can only meet mine across a room_

_Filled with people that are less important than you_

_All cause you love, love, love when you know I can't love_

_You love, love, love when you know I can't love_

"Arya," Tywin started as the song faded away, they were parked now, "I fired Glegor," he looked away her from at the upscale shops that line the street as if was almost embarrassed by it.

"Finally," Arya said forcefully, " took you long enough."

"I didn't tell you that for your opinion Arya," Tywin said as he looked back at her. His eyes were the ones that everyone knew, cold, calculating, eyes that saw all that they looked at and saw every detail; they were not the ones that Arya had sometimes seem, the ones that suggested that there was more than self interest within him. "Kevan is taking a leave of absence as general manager." Arya shrugged in response. "They shouldn't be called the Stags you know, our crest has a lion on it Arya." The word "our" was not lost upon Arya as Tywin continued to speak. "But war leaves a long legacy, the war of five kings almost destroyed this family, and it did destroy our honor. We were no longer lions, but doe's to be hunted, at least we our stags now but that is still an insult." Tywin paused for a moment from his history lesson his face a mixture of disgust and anger. "When my father started that team he was too stupid to call it what he should have, but instead he named it after our humiliation. Arya I need someone who can be a lion."

"I'm not a lion, I'm a direwolf," Arya answered as she looked back at Tywin.

"Even better," Tywin said before he opened his door and left the car.

**Wow so that took a while to write. Thank you to everyone who has read, subscribed, and commented on this thing it really does mean alot to me. **


	9. Aftermath-A place of her own pt2

_Stick shift is the worst, _that thought had been pulsating through Arya's mind for the last ten minutes, but was suddenly subdued as she took a right turn hard and quickly shifted up into third. Arya had never driven something as powerful as the Ferrari 488 GTB that currently purred underneath her as she rushed to the Stags office. She had never liked to show off her family's wealth, but she also understood the idea of a good first impression. _Well besides being late,_ her mind reminded her as a light turned red before she could reach it and she was left hitting the steering wheel in frustration.

Tywin hadn't sugar coated when he had asked her the night before to be the interim GM of the Stags. She wasn't there because she was the chosen one to bring them into a new age of invincibility, no she was simply the only available place holder that was competent enough to be trusted. Yet despite his low expectations of her, Arya had jumped at Tywins offer.

The light turned and her car jumped with acceleration, her foot pressed down completely. It was the morning sickness that had caused her to be late, and Arya was pissed about it. Turning into the Stags complex, the car beneath her roared with her frustration as she rushed to the parking spot marked "Reserved, General Manager Parking Only," before screeching to a halt.

Arya left the car the second the engine stopped, before being met woman doing her best impression of a linebacker. The woman's arms were out and she was squatting as she was preparing to take a hit, "you can't park here," she said, her voice flustered, "it's the GM's spot."

"Well I can, because that is me," Arya answered as she tried to pass the women on the side, only to be rebuffed as she shuffled to the side. "Your Arya Stark," she asked quizzically before letting her arms down enough for Arya to scrape past, leaving the befuddled woman in her wake. "Ms.," her voice followed Arya as she walked towards the Stags main office, "I'm your assistant Senelle," the woman continued as she trailed behind Arya. Turning and abruptly stopping Arya was almost run over by a rushing Senelle. Quickly adjusting herself Senelle spoke quickly, "well today is a big day isn't it Ms. Arya, let me tell you your schedule," she dug into a purse and withdrew a tablet. As Senelle fiddled with device Arya took a moment to look her over. She was the consummation of professional beauty, long red hair fell in waves around her as a smart business suit covered a perfectly trimmed body as she stood on outrageous yet completely sensibly tall heels, a small smile was placed in her perfect mouth that was surrounded by her perfect lips that completed on a perfect face; Arya hated her already. "Your head coach, Gendry Waters and the offensive coordinator Damon Marbrand our waiting for you in your office," her unflustered voice was soft and sweet, "after that you will have a short press conference but after that your whole day is unscheduled," she smiled sweetly down at Arya as she finished, and briefly Arya wondered how many of her boss's she had fucked. "Thank you," Arya said in the sweetest voice she could muster, "I do have to get to that meeting," She said before turning and leaving.

* * *

><p>Gendry sat perfectly still, his eyes closed, his mind blank and there was nothing. And then it started again, the tapping. "Please Damon stop that," Gendry snapped as his patience finely frayed. "Whatever you want boss," came his offensive coordinator's answer. Damon Marbrand was a big man, who sported a full beard and hair the cut off just before his shoulders that was now white with age. He was a good coach and as a result had survived Gendry's purge of the previous day, even if his son, the defensive coordinator, had not.<p>

She was late, inexcusably late in Gendry's opinion. He hated it when people were late, it was something that bothered him to the core. His peer must have noticed his agitation, "they're always late, boy." After an incredulous look from Gendry he continued, "I've been here awhile, they're always late. Some power complex or somethin' if you want my opinion on the thing."

"I'm all ears," Gendry responded.

"Good don't be afraid to listen to your team, seen too many men make that mistake." Gendry nodded in agreement as Damon continued to speak, "but don't be afraid to make an unpopular decision."

"How do I deal with the GM," Gendry asked.

"Bunch o' faggots if you ask me, to busy tryin to rub one out o' his lordship Tywin, don' matter if this one a lady, she'll still have no brains."

"If you feel that way, why are you still here," Gendry asked perplexed by the virality of the attack against Tywin

"Boy you don't know no history do you? My family been serving Tywin for a thousand years, though it' be disrespectful not to stick with him." Damon answered with a shrug before the two of them lapsed back into a silence.

Just as their silence began to stretch into the awkward, Gendry began to worry, the door opened suddenly and Gendry saw the her. She was younger than he had expected, surprisingly younger, and also shorter, a Stags t-shirt hug loosely to her frame, and with a pair of jeans she contrasted greatly with the button ups that he and Damon wore. Yet it wasn't her age or dress that surprised Gendry the most, it was her expression. Short brown hair framed the most determined look that he had ever seen, her eyes seemingly boring into him and Damon as she sat behind the massive desk in front of him. It was a strange juxtaposition to see such obvious power in someone so young.

Her hands clasped together as she rested her elbows on the desk, her eyes darting between him and Damon, and after a moment of contemplation she spoke, "how many are we going to lose this year?"

After a moments hesitation Gendry answer, "none of them!"

* * *

><p>The meeting with Gendry and Damon had been surprising quick, he knew what he wanted and was smart enough to not waste her time kissing ass. "Thank you Jeor," Arya said before hanging up the phone, a quick trade of Joffrey for someone worth a shit had been her first order of business and she was getting along quite quickly with that. The day was turning out quite good after its sullen start, she had a plan, she knew what her goals were, and for a moment she revelled in the joy of knowing what she needed to do, <em>this is going to turn out better than I thought is was going to<em>, Arya thought to herself.

Suddenly Arya felt like the world was beginning to spin around her, her vision swirled as she lurched from her seat and ran out of her office. She heard Senelle call after her, but she waved her off with a hand. Everything was spinning now as she struggled to the bathroom door, racing into she rushed into the first open stall. For a moment Arya just kneeled waiting for the inevitable.

It came with a jolt of pain, rushing up with an ungodly force from her stomach into her throat and out her mouth. Anger, fear, and bile left her coughing and gagging. Her body sagged with exhaustion as she simply breathed for several, in the last several she had found a certain peace in these moments. After the throwing up her mind had no room for worry, no room for anything that bothered her, just emptiness. She was aware of the girl behind her looking worried, but she didn't care right now. For a few more moments she caught her breath before turning to the girl. She was quite alot bigger than Arya had been expecting, from Arya's view on the floor she seemed to tower over her, her body the apotheosis of the amazonian idea, "our you ok," she asked her voice softer than her appearance would suggest.

"I'm ok," Arya answered as she stood. From her new vantage point Arya was finally able to asses the girl. She was very tall, at least six foot three, and a permeable sense of strength covered her whole person; it was almost as if self assurance had embodied a person and now stood before her. Arya could not though describe her as pretty, as her big nose and muddled, coarse features only amplified her unusual size. "You must be Brienne," Arya said without thought as she wiped her mouth on her shirt collar, "I'm Arya," she continued extending her arm to her.

"Brienne," she answered as they shook hands, "so your the new GM." She looked Arya up and down for a moment, her eyes catching every detail.

"Interim GM," quickly interceded, eager to end the inspection, "and you're my quarter back." A smile erupted on both her face at the mention of her newly won position, "that I am," she answered, "you sure you're ok, don't want to get the whole office sick if you have something nasty."

"Oh it's nothing like that," Arya said as she passed by Brienne to the sinks, "it's just something only women can get in the morning." It was only a moment before a look of understanding crossed, "congra-," she stopped mid word at the look Arya gave to her, "my condolences then it seems."

For a few moments Brienne stood behind as she washed her hands, her eyes seeming to bore through Arya. "May I speak bluntly," Arya nodded as she turned the faucet off, "was that how you got this job?" Another nod as she pulled paper towels from the holder and began to dry her hands, Arya didn't want to look back. Couldn't this girl tell that she was in no mood to have a conversation about her 'condition', she couldn't stand to hear another word of it. "I understand," Brienne said behind her tone was so soft, Arya felt no condemnation from her, "you tired and you don't want to hear another word about that." Arya turned and looked her in her eyes, there was no pity in them, no look of superiority. And as they stood there looking into each other eyes, something passed, empathy, understanding, or simple acceptance of each others humanity. Arya felt as if she had finally done what had eluded her her whole life, making friends with another girl. A smile erupted across her face as she spoke in a quiet voice, that would feel at home in the museum of almost whispers, "thank you."

"Welcome", came a cheery response.

"So what are you doing up here," Arya asked, "I thought they had bathrooms in the locker room."

"They do but there not really that nice, and this is close so I come up here more often than not. Also theres a little bit more privacy," she finished with a shrug. Arya nodded in understanding, "do you think you can win?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Brienne answered without missing a beat. They talked for several moments more, about nothing in general, and as Arya left the bathroom and headed back to her office she felt happy.

"Ms. Arya," her assistant Jocelyn was standing at attention beside her desk, "the media is in the room if you're ready."

"Give me five and I'll be right down," she answered as she walked by.

* * *

><p>The phalanx of press pressed around Arya as she took her seat, a veritable army of microphones stood at attention on the table before her. To her left she watched Gendry as he took his own seat, his nervousness was quite visible. The night before Tywin had given a quick crash course in media relations, speak clearly, it doesn't matter if you say nothing stuttering is much worse, being nervous will only make it worse. To say the least Arya was nervous, and for a brief moment thankfulness for her empty stomach. Gathering her nerves Arya began to speak.<p>

"Thank you for coming out today." Arya paused for a moment to find her words, "as you probably know I am the new interim general manager of the Stags. And to my right is our new head coach Gendry Waters. We here at this organisation our very excited about this appointment as we see it as a time for the team to improve greatly. I would like to also wish former head coach Gregor and wish him the best of luck in his future. At this time me and Gendry will take some questions." A harsh breath passed through as she finished her speech, it had been drawn up by a media intern, but Arya still felt that she done well enough.

The question sent to Gendry was something worthless about his excitement level. "Well I'm very happy to be the head of this organisation and all I hope for right now is to make the most competitive team that I can," Gendry finished sounding much more confident than he looked, a quick smile coming to his face as the press corp erupted with questions. A kindly man who was sitting in front of there microphone laden table pointed to who would answer the next question. A young blonde women stood up, "Margaery of business week, Kevan Lannister was not officially fired so what is his position in the Stags going to be?"

"I'm not at liberty to speak of Lannister Investments corporate structure," Arya quickly answered before calling for the next question. "What changes strategically our you going to make to improve this team," an older black reporter asked Gendry.

"Well I can't really give away my trade secret's," several reports laughed at that and Gendry again flashed a quick smile, "but what I can say is that we're going to bring a very competitive team to this league. With the help of the front office," Gendry looked over to Arya, "I really think that we can make a very good team out of what we have."

A few more questions went to Gendry as football strategy was discussed, Arya liked watching him talk, there was something about his confidence that just drew her to him as he continued to speak. "Ms. Arya," suddenly a reporter was asking her a question and she was shook from her mind, "you and Mr. Gendry our both very young for your given position, do you have any worries about your inexperience impairing you?"

"Well the both of us can work our phones and don't find women in pants scandalous unlike a good portion of those in this league," there was a good chorus of laughter at that and when it died down Arya continued, "so no I'm not that worried about my age getting in the way of this team." The press continued on like that for several more minutes as the both of them answered questions without really saying anything, and after what seemed liked an eternity the press were finished with there questions. As they existed the room Gendry caught her shoulder, "you did well," he said as she turned to him. "You didn't do bad yourself," she responded before turning to leave. "Uhm Arya," she heard him say behind her causing her to turn back to him, "I ju-".

"BEEP!"

Arya pulled out her phone as it continued to shake, "I have to take this," she said to Gendry as she looked at the ID. Walking a few feet away she answered the phone call. "Arya," her father's voice range through the phone, "how are you?" He sounded tired, Arya had heard that voice before. When she was young and he had had to stay late at work he would sneak into her room he got home, and even though she would pretend to be asleep he would speak to her. He would tell her of how much he loved her, how much he cared, and would make promises that she knew he couldn't keep. It was one of Arya's cherished memories.

"I'm fine," she answered. Arya could her father exhale at her answer, "good," he began, "listen Arya, Tywin tells me that you said no to his proposal." _Not this Again,_ Arya thought angrily, she didn't have time to deal with this. Or maybe she didn't want to deal with it, but did that really matter right now. "Dad I can't deal with that right now," Arya answered angrily, "I just not ready."

"Arya I love you, I just want whats best for you, please just consider it." Arya scrunched her forehead in frustration, and for a moment focused only on her frustration, before letting out her breath, "ok I'll think about it," she answered.

"Thank you , ho-" Arya ended the call before her father could finish, and turning to Gendry asked, "what was it you were say?"

"Would you want to get lunch," he said without any of his early apprehension. Arya looked at the clock on her phone while her tongue absently brushed across her molars, 11:58, "a little early but yeah I can do that."

They quickly decided to eschew a restaurant and to instead to order pizza delivery. Sitting in her office they ate, Gendry in front of her desk, and Arya sat in the massively cushioned chair that sat behind it; they both looked out the big window that was the back of her office out onto the Stags indoor practice field, where several linemen were running through drills. And they talked, first of the team but slowly their conversation turned much more personal, Gendry spoke of growing up in Flea's Bottom, his departure for college and his eventual triumphant return to coach a winning. For her part Arya spoke to, she told of growing in Winterfell, her childhood obsession with the Direwolves- they both laughed at the irony of her now being the back office of the Stags- and when they had both told all that they could they sat in silence, like one does after a particularly large meal, content and fulfilled even if it was only for a brief moment, and it was a brief moment. "Arya," Gendry said, his back pressed fiercely against the back of his chair as he almost fought with it to make it lean back more, "how exactly did you get this job, you our a Stark and even an idiot like me knows that your families aren't the most amiable?"

"I did what I thought I never would," Arya answered, the corner of her eye seeing Gendry's face scrunch with misunderstanding. "Oh extrapolate a little," Arya said angrily as she turned to face Gendry, "I fucked Tywinn Lannister," she continued, over pronouncing every syllable the way a particularly annoying sibling of hers would do when they wanted her to feel stupid, "and now I'm pregnant." For a moment Gendry sat there silently, before finally emitting a soft, "oh," as a fake smile covered his face.


	10. Aftermath-A place of her own pt3

Brienne stepped up into position behind the center, stretching her hands slightly before her and looking to both sides before clapping her hands together. The ball was snapped and suddenly everyone exploded into a flurry of motion. As Brienne stepped back into the pocket created by the collapsing offensive line, the running back stepped up to block a defensive lineman who had almost gotten through the line. Number 53, Rollam Westerling, the Stags leading tackler from the previous season, was fighting through the gap between the center and the right tackle as he came off a mike blitz. Arya watched as Brienne covered her zones, head turning left to The middle and finally to the right, as she looked for open receivers; then suddenly she saw what she was looking for and before half a heartbeat could have elapsed the ball had been thrown. For a moment Brienne stood watching the balls perfect spiral through the air, before she blindsided by a raging Rollam.

Arya wasn't interested in that as she also watched the ball sail through the air, and then through the gap of the safety who had read the play only a second too late and the cornerback who hadn't been able to keep up, and into the hands of the waiting receiver. The crowd roared behind Arya, as the receiver cut to his right to miss the desperately outreached hands of the defeated safety, and then it seemed the horses were off to the races. A clear path to the end zone as the receiver chewed up ground behind him, but before he got more than ten yards, the sheer tones of a whistle cut through the air.

The artificial crowd noise was cut as Gendry motioned for the team to meet him in the middle of the field. Arya leaned back into her seat at the fifty yard line catching her breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as looked up at the empty stadium that surrounded her. Lannister Mobile Field had been designed by Tywin's grandfather Gerold, back before the indoor stadiums that dominated the modern league had become the norm. According to Tywin his grandfather meant for the stadium to be a sign of Lannister power, and it certainly lived up to that standard.

The whole stadium was simply a massive bowl which surrounded the field and around it ten massive poles rose up to the sky high into the sky. Across from Arya sat the a double deck of luxury suites, with the largest one, Tywin's personal suite, clearly visible from where Arya sat. It had been designed to look like a giant crown, with the marble that made up its outside wall shining golden at sunset and with lights upon the poles around it turned on it did make a great bejeweled crown. It was a lonely crown Arya thought, as it rested on a peninsula that jutted into the Lannisport Harbor, lonely and beautiful; for a moment the thought of Mageary crossed Arya's mind. A great bloody crown that had known no glory beyond its own in all of its history. It was really quite sad, in the most Lannister wat.

The team had gathered around Gendry, and from her position Arya could hear him speak. "Ok, I saw a lot of good today, I saw where we need to work," Gendry said enthusiastically, "play for each other, play for the goal. Now lets finish today right," he finished before pointing to the endzone and blew his whistle. With several groans and halfhearted mentions of disention the team jogged to the endzone and Gendry took off towards Arya, arriving quickly Gendry beamed a smile as she leaned over the railing, "what'd you think." Before Arya could answer a whistle was blown and the entire team took off on a hundred yard wind sprint to the other end zone and for a moment she sat there watching them run. "Fucking run 39," Gendry yelled as straggler passed them. "Does that do anything for fitness," Arya asked as the team finished its first sprint and lined up for the next. "I honestly have no idea, it's just a tradition I guess; and I'd be lying if I denied enjoying watching the fat ones run," Gendry answered with a even more beaming smile than before.

"Ah, the asshole defense of tradition," Arya said with a chuckle as the Stags thundered past again. Gendry turned to watch them as they pass.

"Our they ready, " Arya asked, a somber tone arriving in her voice.

"As ready as they're goin to get," Gendry responded as the team passed them for a third and final time. The awkwardness that had surrounded them since their conversation three weeks earlier again filled the air with a pregnant weight, so instead of speaking they simply watched. As players threw themselves into the ground in exhaustion, they watched. As they slowly picked themselves up and began to filter out towards the lockers, as coaches patted some on the back and yelled at others, they watched. Yet through all there there were two solitary characters, fifteen yards apart, one throwing, hard perfect passes, the other catching and tossing them back. Arya recognised him as the receiver who had caught Brienne's final pass, as again Brienne again threw him a pass.

"What do they think of me," Arya asked suddenly, that question had been on her mind for a while now and she didn't know if there was going to be any better time to ask.

Gendry bit his lip at her question, Arya couldn't tell if it was out of thought or disdain for his answer. "They think you're a snob," Arya nodded, she'd expected that. "They thought you were stupid, and weak, but after what you did to Joffrey they changed their tones." Arya had had Joffrey escorted out by police when she had traded him to the Oldtown Flowers, he had threatened her when she informed him of the trade and frankly she thought the shit had deserved it. "They at a minimum respect your power, at a maximum they respect you. The reality is most definitely somewhere between those two points."

"Good to hear," Gendry's summation of the opinion the team held of her had been much more positive than she had expected, "she is great," Arya gesturing to the now leaving Brienne.

"They'll say that it was a huge risk, when she's inducted into hall of fame. That idea couldn't be further from the truth, she's just the best fucking player I've ever seen. We got a deal, 199th in the sixth round, and they'll call it a ballsy move. What fucking bullshit is that? She's the best and that's the unequivocal truth," Gendry finished sounding almost angry.

"You have a lot of faith in her," Arya said, a questioning tone in her voice.

"Just as much faith as Tywin has in you, and I guess by some extension myself," Gendry answered before nodding to Arya and turning and following his team into the locker room. Once more Arya leaned back into the hard metal bench behind her, and again she looked around the stadium. The sun was setting, and Arya watched as light made long shadows across the field and filled the empty spaces with golden light. Arya had found herself enjoying these moments of quiet introspection more and more recently. The quiet emptiness of the stadium calmed her, and for brief moment she forgot her fear. Before she completely lost herself, Arya got up and left.

Her office was only a few minutes away and she had to get her bag before she left, so Arya headed in that direction. Gendry had decided to hold practice in the Stags stadium for their final week before the season started, Gendry was to instill a sense of scale to the team, Arya thought it was probably just Gendry being up his own ass. Yet she had allowed it, mostly because in the last three weeks of working with him and despite the awkwardness of their interactions, she had found him to be quite competent, even ingenious at times. Not that she would ever tell him that, he had a big enough head anyway, Arya told herself.

With her head wrapped up in thought Arya quickly arrived at her office. The room had turned into a neat mess as Arya had accumulated more paperwork in three weeks than she had thought possible. Reaching down she pick up the backpack she had brought to work that day, and began gathering her things, before a knock suddenly rang from her door. Looking up she saw her assistant Senelle, "Your dad left you message," she said while handing a post it note to Arya. _Call me please!_ Arya frowned at the short message. "You doing ok," Senelle asked, as she lightly touched Arya on the shoulder, in the soft compassionate voice she seemed to be so good at. "Yeah, as good I can be doing I guess," Arya answered offhandedly. Senelle was a good secretary and in her own honest, caring way, she always seemed to be able comfort her. Arya had began to think of her as a friend more than simply a co-worker or underling. She was also the only other person in the office that knew about Arya's pregnancy besides Gendry. Senelle smiled at Arya response.

"You think they're ready," Senelle asked with genuine curiosity; Arya had learned quickly that Senelle was actually one of the Stags biggest fans.

"Gendry's confident, and I'm confident in him," Arya answered as she went back to packing her backpack.

"You give such great non answers," Senelle retorted playfully.

"I do," Arya answered quietly, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand. She'd been avoiding her father for weeks now, unable or unwilling to answer him, and to answer Tywin either. She just didn't know, and frankly didn't want to know, what she was going to do.

"I'm gonna head out so have a good night," Senelle said before leaving Arya alone in her office

"Night," Arya called after her weakly.

After gathering her things and quickly shooting off a few emails, Arya also left. Fridays were always half days at the office, so as Arya walked towards the exit her only companion was empty cubicles. They were cold, dead things in Arya's opinion, that worked more as apt metaphors for the soul crushing monotony of office work, than the efficient spacing tools that they had been designed to be. The sun was low in the sky when Arya got the parking lot, and from her view she could see a single man waiting by her Ferrari. As Arya drew closer the man looked up from his smartphone and said, "Ms. Stark, may I speak to you?"

"Well you certainly can Mr. Westerling," Arya answer her, voice mocking his manners, as she opened the passenger door to her car and stowed her backpack, "though usually your peers refer to me as bitch, fuck face, or 'I just bought a home and my kids just started school'' so just Arya will be fine." Rollam was clearly taken back by Arya's answer, as he froze for several seconds before continuing. "Ms. Stark I want to talk about the team," he said before uncomfortably pausing, as if waiting for Arya to give him permission to continue.

"Most people want to talk about the team," she said finally, before leaning on the roof of her car over its door and motioning him to continue.

"Well Ms. Stark.."

"Arya."

"Well the thing Ms. Stark," Arya had never seen someone so afraid to talk to her, _Tywin's lessons on intimidation our paying off, _she thought to herself. "I think Gendry's a great coach, and I really do think we have the squad to go far this year," Arya had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at his faux enthusiasm, "it's just that I feel that some of the supporting coaching staff our not the best option for our team."

"It's still just Arya," she answered after a moment's thought, "and do you have any specifics, " she asked.

"Yeah," Rollam said, "our defensive line coach Lommy is, well frankly, is an idiot."

"and what led you to that summarization of his character, " Arya asked, a deep frown covering her face.

"Well he just doesn't do things the way we used to-" Rollam started before Arya cut him off by loudly clearing her throat.

Arya looked down at her nails for a moment, they needed to be cleaned she noticed, before stepping away from her passenger side door. Slowly Arya walked to the front of the car where Rollam stood, and coming to a stop less than a foot in front of him Arya stared up at him. Rollam was clearly unnerved by her proximity as he turned away from her gaze. "Rollam," Arya started a smile on her face, "if your complaint starts with 'things our different,'" Arya poked a finger into him to make her point, "it's worthless. Now either get the fuck out of my way, keep your mouth shut, and shove your opinion up your ass, or get very good at sitting."

After staring into his eyes for a moment more, Arya sidestepped Rollam and opened her car door. Stopping before she got in, she looked up at a still reeling Rollam and said, "you're a good player, don't let your brain get in the way of that."

It took only a moment for Arya to duck into her car, start its engine, and race off. Turning the radio on as she met the late afternoon traffic, she was greeted by the soothing tones of her favorite band, House of Black and White. Since she had been in middle school Arya had loved them, finding solace in there angsty tones as the friendless tomboy that she had become listed from all those around her. It had never been easy living in her sister's shadow, always wanting what she had, but never knowing how to get there. She remembered the good times too, like sneaking out of Winterfell Manor in the middle of the night to see a hidden show, or broken into her high school to put a few live skunks in the hallways. As 600 horsepower purred beneath her, Arya found herself singing along.

_Today is my birthday, and I'm riding high_

_Hair is dripping, hiding that I'm terrified _

_But this is summer, playing dumber than in fall_

_Everything I say falls right back into everything_

_Only bad people see their likeness set in stone_

_Only bad people see their likeness set in stone_

_What does that make me?_

As the song came to an end, Arya realised what she had to do, she'd been avoiding responsibility for too long. She's been avoiding what she should have done weeks ago. She needed to be decisive, and with gumption that she hadn't had a moment before she dialed a number into her phone, pressed call, and pressed it to her ear as it rang once before being picked.

"Arya!"

"Hey dad, I love you," Arya said tears welling in her eyes, "can we talk?"


End file.
